La Martiniere restoration gets city conservationist a French award
French conservation organisation – Vieilles Maisons Francaises – overjoyed to see the two-century-old building being used by 4,000 children
It’s going to be a proud moment for me. I am happy that my son, who is a student of La Martiniere College, will see me getting the award
ANSAR-UDDIN, conservationist
France has decided to honour a city-based conservationist for restoring the French heritage ‘Constantia Palace’, which houses the La Martiniere College, here.
French ambassador to India Francois Richier will hand over the prestigious Medaille d’Honneur du Travail (a silver medal) to conservationist Ansar-uddin in Lucknow soon, said principal Carlyle McFarland.
“It’s going to be a proud moment for me. I am happy that my son, who is a student of La Martiniere College, will see me getting the award,” said Ansar-uddin, 48.
The conservationist said the award was in recognition of all the hard work he and his team (of 15 skilled workers) had put in to restore the imposing 200-year-old legacy of Maj Gen Claude Martin in the last three-four years.
According to Ansar-uddin, the most challenging part during the restoration work was to maintain the architectural beauty of the building. “We put in special care to match the original work,” he said.
Speaking to HT, McFarland said the idea of the award came about when a delegation from French conservation organization Vieilles Maisons Francaises (VMF) visited the college in early 2015.
“They examined the conservation work and were impressed to see that the work was in sync with the original structure. They took pictures and videos and after proper scrutiny decided to recommend the award for Ansar-uddin,” he said.
When McFarland became principal of the college in 2011, his hunt for skilled a conservationist led him to the 350-year- old Teele Wali Masjid where Ansar-uddin was engaged in restoration work. Ansar-uddin was then given to restore a small portion of a wall in the college. Impressed with his work, the college hired him to carry out the complete conservation work.
In a letter to Ansar-uddin, the French ambassador wrote: “I warmly congratulate you for this distinction, which honours your remarkable professionalism in the restoration of the historic building. Your work on preserving the French heritage in India most commendably contributes to strengthen the ties between France and India.”
LUCKNOW: The 200-year-old building of La Martiniere College will soon find a place in a directory of French heritage sites that are away from France. Alongside this legacy of Major General Claude Martin, a few other French heritage buildings in Chandan Nagar, West Bengal and Puducherry will also be featured.
Members of a French conservation organisation – Vieilles Maisons Francaises (VMF) – that is equivalent to INTACH in India toured the country to prepare a record of buildings that bear stamp of French architecture. Their search for such structure brought them to Lucknow and they were overjoyed to see the two-century-old building being used by 4,000 children.
“The visiting team could not believe their eyes that restoration work was so close to the original work. Phillipe Toussaint, president of VMF, was impressed to see that the 200-year-old building is still in use and thousands of students are studying there,” said Carlyle McFarland, principal, La Martiniere College.
He said, “The restoration work began from ornamental details of walls to ceilings and it is still on. The beautifully restored exquisite Wedgewood plasterwork detail in Constantia is a treat to watch for many foreign and Indian tourists who visited the college in recent times.”
Some 4-5 years back, a group of enthusiastic entrepreneurs realised that they owed something to their alma mater. So, they got together and decided to restore the building’s pristine glory.
NOW IT LOOKS MORE BEAUTIFUL
The rooms are decorated i n bas- reliefs, arabesques and other Italian styled ornamentation. T he 18th century English potter Josiah Wedgwood was said to be responsible for the plaster of Paris plaques decorating the library and the chapel. However, the plaques which depict classical and mythological subjects are thought to be of local construction, reads a social media post.