Bengaluru: Commemorating World Heritage Day, INTACH Bengaluru announced the winners of the 2nd Annual INTACH Heritage Awards. The winners were selected from amongst more than 40 nominations made by the people of Bengaluru. The winners were chosen based on parameters like maintenance, architectural integrity and value to the cityscape. The jury comprised former UNESCO Ambassador Chiranjiv Singh, senior archaeologist Dr SVP Halakatti and architect Anup Naik.
The Office of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies won the award in the Public Building category, for having largely retained its architectural intent and use value. The Administrative Building at Bishop Cotton Boy’s School was chosen in the Private Institutional Category, for being an “institutional building with a unique architectural language and typology to be retained and appreciated.”
Mohan and Priya Mascarenhas’ much-talked about bungalow, Silverend, was the undisputed victor in the private residential category. “Silvered is recognized as a living heritage of 19th century bungalow architecture,” said the jury, “for its maintenance and for the owners’ passion retaining both the built environment and its surroundings.”
As the axe falls more and more frequently on heritage structures, INTACH decided to highlight the economic potential of heritage buildings that have been re-purposed for other uses, establishing a fourth award for ‘Adaptive Reuse and Restoration’. The RBANMS old orphanage building was named the winner this year, with the jury calling it a “striking example of adaptive reuse and restoration, encompassing architectural language, material restoration and spatial engagement.”
