Renewal & Reuse
Click on the box to express your need and help create a network of knowledge, information and peer support.
- I am looking for a buyer who can leverage my old house’s history for reuse.
- I am looking to buy or lease an old property for reuse.
- I am looking for masons & artisans experienced in buildings of 1920s-50s lineage.
- I want to join / start a group to preserve the architectural distinctiveness of my neighbourhood.
- I am looking for a legal expert to file a PIL to protect an old structure.
- Anyone looking for ideas on reusing large, rundown interiors without disturbing the exterior?
There are many ways of reviving a city through its buildings. The most important among these is to actually use these remarkable buildings, either to live in or for some other function. As Alanna Heiss, curator, arts activist, and originator of the ‘alternative space movement’, said recently to artists on a visit from the USA to Calcutta: ‘Don’t build new buildings; reuse old ones to exhibit art’. We have nothing against imaginatively constructed new buildings; but let’s not neglect the unique ones we have already.
CAL is interested in facilitating and providing a platform for contact between those who believe in reuse and renewal in Calcutta, and in helping create a network of such people.
This page acts purely as an intermediary, in the interests of the long-term cultural impact this process will have on the city, and CAL cannot be involved in, or take responsibility for, the financial aspects of these exchanges.
If you are an owner with ideas on how to reuse your old structure such that its historic uniqueness is respected, showcased, or put to new use, tick the right checkbox below and find like-minded people or implementers who can make it happen.
If you aspire to own an old house for its legacy and beauty, this page is a not-for-profit meeting place. Express your desire and you may find someone who wants to sell.
Are you looking for knowledgeable engineers, craftsmen, masons & artisans to repair and restore your old property? This is where you can issue a lookout notice.
If you are proud to live in a neighbourhood that has many architecturally gracious structures and wish to see them conserved, form a group through this page that believes the same.
You may be students of architecture & urban planning who understand the importance of conservation while embracing new ideas of what is interesting or even ‘cool’. Share your ideas.
Designers and engineer-architect-restorers who have a track record of turning an old space into a gallery or a centre for performing arts – or anything that has conserved a distinctive structure by helping it stay relevant – can find new clients through this page.
