It may come as a surprise to many that the Chennai of the thirties had strong and impressive urban features comparable to any city anywhere. George Town was an elegant central business district and Park Town with its public buildings and parks was a recognisable city centre. Though colonial in its beginnings, these types of urban spaces were the nuclei around which most modern metropolises of today grew and developed successfully. However, Chennai now has found itself unable to cope with the forces of growth and change and an area like Park Town has disintegrated into chaos and confusion and lost its role as the city centre.
Preserving our heritage is necessary for our self-esteem. Landmark buildings representing the city`s architectural history should be a source of pride rather than one of embarrassment. The mistaken notion that preservation of the historic fabric of a city somehow restricts modernisation should be dispelled. In fact the old and the new can not only co-exist but can also complement each other creating a variety in the built-form of the city that is vibrant and exciting.
One of the best ways to preserve a country's heritage and pay tribute to its history is to maintain and restore ancient buildings, to retain a legacy for future generations to understand the country's great and glorious cultural richness. However, a few such treasures have disappeared from the face of the city. Let's take a look at some of them.
Text: Sify News Desk
