Rajabai Tower to get a face lift
December 16, 2006
The famous Rajabai Tower, a heritage landmark near Oval Maiden, is all set to get a much needed facelift. Time has taken its toll on the tower. The make-over will also include restoration of the oldest University of Mumbai library, located at the base of tower.
With the objective of making the conventional library into a hi-tech one, the University has collaborated with leading business firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to fund the project to the tune of Rs75lakh. University officials said the restoration would be initiated in two phases. “We are proud to fund the restoration of the 19th century library building that
houses a collection of rare books. The beauty of two-storey library is that it provides a 152-foot wide horizontal backdrop to the Rajabai Tower. The make-over of the library will include its computerisation,” said S Ramadorai, MD and CEO, TCS.
The architectural restoration of the library and tower will be done by renowned architect Brinda Somaya. “In order to begin the restoration, we will seek clearance from the heritage structure committee. The make-over plan of the structure will involve strengthening the structure; stone cleaning and consolidation; repairing the damaged parts of the structure;
removal of biological growth and upgrading the services. We want to give it a new look without touching its age-old architectural beauty.” Besides funding for the make-over of the structure, TCS also plans to collaborate with the University for campus-related activities. “We have also decided to provide training and campus placement facilities to the University’s BSc-IT graduates,” Ramadorai said.