Paul Mansion has found an unlikely restoration formula — bring together the people who live inside a heritage building and those who simply care about seeing it survive. The result is a colonial landmark getting a much-needed refresh, with its façade painted and illuminated after decades.
Paul Mansion, he points out, is “a giant colonial edifice”, making the effort significant not just for the building but for the larger conversation around Kolkata’s privately owned heritage. Patherya describes himself as the person who “stitched everything together”. For heritage enthusiast Mudar Patherya, who helped bring the different stakeholders together, what makes the initiative special is precisely this coming together of residents and the wider public. “The reason why this restoration of Paul Mansion is one of the first such instances when there is a private and resident collaboration, private or you can say public and resident collaboration that makes it unique. Public has got nothing to do with the property, private resident is people who are actually living in the building. It is a combination and a collaboration between the two, number one. And this is no modest restoration project. What makes it even more unusual is that the restoration of the façade has received support from people with no ownership stake in the property. Residents contributed from within, while public-spirited heritage supporters stepped in from outside. “ The public part which is people not connected with the ownership of that property have contributed to the paint repair of the facade, which has not happened in decades. They have painted and they have illuminated. Patherya sees the experiment as something that could travel well beyond Paul Mansion — and perhaps offer a new way of looking at Kolkata’s vast stock of privately owned heritage buildings. “And this combination is turning out, could turn out to be a model of restoring privately owned properties across Calcutta. This represents hope. The restoration brought together resident Manoj Lunia, who funded the resident contribution, and P P Gupta of Techno Electric, who supported the effort from the public side despite having no connection to the building’s ownership.
For a city where heritage buildings often stand caught between history and neglect, Paul Mansion’s story offers a different possibility — that saving a piece of Kolkata’s architectural past need not always begin with a government project. Sometimes, it can begin with residents, concerned citizens and a little collective will.
“This is a model that can be scaled not only for government buildings as generally appears but for any building, any privately owned heritage property, this can be applied. It is a very interesting start and if this model picks up, privately owned buildings will also get restored by corporates and the public at large. Looking for trusted parenting advice? Follow TOI Parenting Circle on Instagram for expert guidance, relatable stories, and practical tips delivered every day. Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.