| Metropolitan Building | |
|---|---|
 Metropolitan Building in Esplanade, Kolkata, from the Chowringhee Crossing | |
 | |
| Former names | Whiteway & Laidlaw department store |
| General information | |
| Status | Used as a residential and a commercial building |
| Address | 7, Chowringhee Road |
| Town or city | Kolkata |
| Country | India |
| Coordinates | 22°33′49″N 88°21′06″E / 22.5637°N 88.3516°E |
| Elevation | 9.509 m |
| Current tenants | Life Insurance Corporation of India & houses many offices & stores such as Big Bazaar & the Central Cottage Industry Showroom. |
| Construction started | 1905 |
| Owner | Life Insurance Corporation of India |
| Website | |
| Website | |
Metropolitan Building is a commercial building on Chowringhee Road in Kolkata near Esplanade. Formerly known as the Whiteaway Laidlaw department store, it was a famous department store in Calcutta during the British Rule in India. It is one of the first departmental store in India. This neo-baroque emporium—with domes, a clock tower and arched recessed windows—exemplifies fashionable shopping during the British Raj in British India.
The building was built in 1905. Post Independence Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. assumed ownership, so people know it more commonly as Metropolitan Building. Currently it is owned by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).[1][2] It is located near the Shaheed Minar and the Grand Hotel and is just opposite of the new Esplanade Metro Station.
YouTube Encyclopedic
-
1/5Views:7 4066787 625105 8958 504
-
Tram network of Kolkata
-
City of architectural finesse: Kolkata's old buildings and tram still stand out
-
Training session of young cricketers - Kolkata
-
Kolkata (Calcutta) - India HD
-
Kolkata : The second largest city in India
Transcription
History
The building was built in 1905.
After Independence, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. assumed ownership, so people know it more commonly as Metropolitan Building.
Renovation
The building was restored by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). But it still houses a commercial complex.[3] The building was freshly repainted with white and golden paint and its exterior structure was also renovated while making extensive changes within.
Features
It is a large building recognisable by its corner tower with the dome raised high on a pavilion. Rustication in the ground floor and a semicircular arched arcade in the first floor. The facade is punctuated by a series of projected and pedimented bays with plain columns and Corinthian capitals.[4]
Gallery
- Metropolitan Building Gallery
-
Metropolitan Building in Esplanade, Kolkata after the recent renovation -
The Building under renovation
See also
References
- ^ INTACH (Guide to Kolkata). INTACH. 2009.
- ^ "Preserving Kolkata's Heritage Buildings". Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
- ^ Ray, Saikat (16 September 2012). "History can mean big business too". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
- ^ Datta, Rangan. "Metropolitan Building, Esplanade, Calcutta | Flickr - Photo Sharing!". Flickr. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
External links
Media related to Metropolitan Building (Kolkata) at Wikimedia Commons
| Colonial | |
|---|---|
| Geographical | |
| Religious places | |
| Cultural |
|
| Boulevards |
|
| Shopping |
|
| Parks, riverfront, zoos and stadiums |
|
This page was last edited on 25 April 2024, at 12:06