VIKAS DILAWARI

Taking up heritage conservation:

I was always fascinated with subject of history right from my school days. This interest got deeper when I enrolled for architecture, which had a full three years subject on history of architecture. However, the turning point was my opportunity to work with architect Ved Segan, who in 1985 was handling one of the first conservation project in the country - Gaiety Theatre, Shimla. This was followed by a college assignment to redesign the Crawford market in Mumbai. Thereafter there was no looking back.

How challenging is it to restore a heritage structure:

Restoration is certainly a very challenging field as one has to first know the conservation philosophy - this is then followed by interventions to be done i.e., implementation of philosophy in action. Majority of the work is experimentation, so utmost care has to be taken that historic buildings do not get damaged. Restoration is a very slow process requiring a lot of patience.

Projects that you have worked on:

American Express bank interiors, Flora Fountain, Amerchand Mansion, Army & Navy building, Aga Khan Palace, Pune, the Archiepiscopal Palace, old Goa, Wellington Fountain, and Christ Church to name a few. Fifteen of my projects have received an UNESCO Asia award.