Heritage with a modern twist

The plaque outside a Mumbai building reads "" "This building was formerly known as Admiralty House and was the residence of the admiral from circa 1764 until the year 1792. In 1800, it became the court of the first recorder of Bombay and remained the chief court of Bombay until the removal of the high court in 1879."

That was then. Since 1987 this heritage colonial structure, one of the oldest buildings in Mumbai at Lion Gate that spells old-world charm, is home to Ensemble, one of the oldest haute couture stores in India.

Shift the focus to New Delhi's Olive Bar & Kitchen where a huge banyan tree in the courtyard of a restored haveli welcomes first timers and regular customers alike.

The ambience of this stand-alone Mediterranean restaurant is an experience in itself and food aside, it is the old haveli, a part of the many sarais (or resting places) that manages to tower over other buildings in its vicinity.

For Olive's owner A D Singh, "There could be no better location for the restaurant in Delhi with a Qutab Minar backdrop, the lovely ridge, the haveli and the huge banyan tree."

Who said old bungalows and heritage structures had to empty, lifeless and haunted spaces? An increasing tribe of entrepreneurs is considering restoring leased heritage and old structures and turning them into more than just places of profit "" making it possible for people to experience old-world romanticism. Business acumen combined with a culturally sensitive attitude makes them opt for high ceilings, Burmese teak flooring, tall bay windows and lime-washed walls instead of glass facades, neon lights and the newest marble in town.

When Shalini Nopany and Pooja Goenka wanted to open a top end fashion boutique store in Kolkata, the like of which the city hadn't seen, they wanted a destination that would stand out. "We looked at nearly a dozen properties," says Goenka, before finally settling for 85 Lansdowne.

A beautiful 70-year-old Viennese-style villa, it looked ideal but was in a dreadful condition with the two-storied structure showing a leaking roof and rotting pipes.

The promoters changed all of that but retained the banisters, storm-shutters, windows, doors and period grills, and concentrated on strengthening the building, replacing the pipes and wiring besides leak-proofing the roof. It did cost them a tidy packet, Rs 50 lakh, but the result was a showpiece of sensitive renovation.

When it comes to using heritage buildings for retail spaces like cafes, fashion stores or galleries, the structure of the declared heritage property cannot be tampered with. That means no change in elevation, no new construction and no kind of demolition is allowed.

"If I do not use these havelis, they will crumble and fall," says Sanjeev Batra of Sunrydge who restored his heritage-declared havelis in the Qutab Minar area and leased out two of them for commercial use to Olive Bar & Kitchen and Ayamik, a luxury designer-wear store.

Under the supervision of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), he restored and renovated the havelis by using material as close as possible to the original, winning him a restoration award by UNESCO.

According to A K Sinha, superintending archaeologist with the ASI, "If promoters don't change the character of the heritage building and are able to put it to modern use, then it's a good concept." Sinha even personally identifies areas like the Purana Qila, Ferozshah Kotla and the premises outside the Red Fort in Delhi for such use.

Moshe Shek, who runs his restaurant Moshe at Cuff Parade in Mumbai, vouches, "If I can get another property like this old 18th century constructed bungalow, I will gladly lease it for another Moshe restaurant."

Moshe wanted the old bungalow for his restaurant premises as soon as he set eyes on it. Using a part of the bungalow (1,200 sq ft), the restoration of the interiors cost him Rs 8 lakh and he restored it to its original look of a grey stone façade with its natural wooden flooring. "These structures are so beautiful that they make a huge difference to the ambience "" cosy and casual," he adds.

In Chennai on the other hand, an organic food and lifestyle store called Ahumcaara is housed in a 100-year-old castle. According to the store's owner Sunita Sahaney, "It fitted perfectly with the store's philosophy of keeping everything that is absolutely pure and natural."

In Mumbai's busy Kemps Corner, Amit Dholakia restored the 80-year-old structure and opened Amara, a large designer store sprawling over 4,500 sq ft.

For Dholakia, "Something of heritage value, apart from adding character to the store, helps you widen your catchment area of potential customers beyond just the surrounding areas."

Apart from using heritage structures, promoters of these commercial ventures are particularly trying to retain and attain as far as possible the original look of the buildings, besides adding basic modern amenities.

Even Dholakia and his architects, G D Samphare & Co, did not alter the round French windows or the teakwood that were already an intrinsic part of the building.

Adds Dholakia, "Clients, especially foreigners love the place and structures." Dholakia spent Rs 1,000 per sq ft on restoration and has even opened a spa above the store to the delight of those who step into this place.

When it comes to restoration, it's a cumbersome and patience-testing venture requiring numerous government regulations and permissions. Which is why a majority of promoters opt for easier options like malls.

Only those with an eye for subtly beautiful and elegant structures with commitment and patience go ahead to merge history with business.

What prompts a handful of such entrepreneurs to think out-of-the-box and convert heritage buildings into stores? Priya Roa, head of market (south) for Fab India answers, "Stores in malls are a dime a dozen but stores in old or heritage buildings allow people not only to shop but also to enjoy the architecture and the atmosphere."

Interestingly, out of the 39 stores that Fab India has in the country, many are housed in old structures in cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Pondicherry, Kolkata, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Mysore, Kochi, mostly in prime commercial locations, carefully restored to their full glory using materials as natural as possible.

The Fab India outlet in the 150-year-old colonial Jeroo building in Kala Ghoda in Mumbai was originally a horse-carriage stable. Though the restoration of the 7,500 sq ft building cost a whopping Rs 2 crore initially, increasingly discerning customers who appreciate the ambience of a place have added to the good sales of the store.

Fab India's Chennai outlet at the 120-year-old Ilford House was a photography studio and the store showcases its photographic collection along with its old furniture.

"We are committed to restoration and though we have different store formats, if we find something interesting in a relatively good condition we usually try to preserve the character of the building," says Rao.

Retailer Pradeep Hirani who owns the famous fashion store Kimaya tells an interesting tale for the centuries-old "wishing" well in the courtyard of the haveli at Qutab where his new luxury designer store Ayamik was launched a few days ago.

According to village folklore, Qutabuddin Aibak (the emperor who built the Qutab Minar) used the wishing well whenever he faced hurdles in constructing Qutab Minar. Some say that during the British Raj the well was full of gold coins.

Hirani himself testifies to the spell of the well. "I came out of a difficult situation within two days of making a wish." According to him, "The romanticism associated with history becomes perfect for a designer store even if it is on the outskirts of a city."

With a huge floor space of 8,000 sq ft, Hirani specifically asked interior designers Uphar Chibber and Prashant Kochar to "retain the charm and infuse it with glamour". Hirani also plans to open a cafe in the 5,000 sq ft courtyard of the haveli.

Most entrepreneurs agree that these ventures serve the dual purpose of letting customers and tourists enjoy the cultural heritage of a city while shopping or dining. Explains Hirani, "Most tourists in Delhi visit Qutab Minar, and we extend the charm of the Qutab Minar with shopping."

Though the pressure to bring alive heritage buildings is high in terms of pricing and time and can prove cumbersome, most of these culturally sensitive entrepreneurs are more than ready to continue with their efforts.

Batra has renamed his havelis at Qutab and calls them "One Style Mile". In his view, "It adds to the glamour quotient of heritage structures." He could be right. After all, that seems to be the mantra of entrepreneurs who are combining heritage with a shot of glamour.

With Gargi Gupta in Kolkata and Arati Menon Carroll in Mumbai