Ramanilayam is one of the finest guest houses in the country today in terms of its architectural magnificence, structural value and heritage significance. It was located next to the Royal Palace of Thrissur and is one of the most prestigious addresses of the town, even today.
Studio Name: dd architects
Design Team: dd Architects
Lighting design – Anusha Muthusubramanian – Lighting Spaces, Bangalore
Civil Contractor – Raghuram K. G
Electrical Contractor – Biju Jose
Area: 15000 sq.ft
Year:2017 – 2020
Location: Thrissur
Consultants:
Lighting : Anusha Muthusubramanian
Structural : Santhosh V V
Landscaping : Gopi P V
Photography Credits: Midhul, N.Arjun
Other Credits: Render : A. Marie josie Calisthaa
Client: Kerala Tourism
Built during the early 20 th century as a colonial guest house and had been an important place of stay for the Diwans and other important guests. After Independence, It has hosted many Presidents and Prime Ministers of the country. It offers the fine traditions of hospitality that the state of Kerala is rich with. Due to many factors like age, weather conditions, etc. the condition of the structure had deteriorated gravely. Therefore it was in dire need of restoration to bring it back to its former glory .
There was a need to employ original methods of conservation which would aid in restoring the structure while maintaining the original ambience. This would provide a unique experience to the users by achieving harmony through the details of renovation and restoration techniques. Hence, the scientific form of architectural conservation as per international conservation norms was carried out. This is of great importance today, as we are losing many important and significant heritage structures in Kerala due to lack of awareness and unscientific conservation methodologies.
1.ROOFING AND ROOFING STRUCTURE
For water leakage in the roof, correction of roof works was carried out. The damaged rafters, beams, purlins and other decorative details were replaced. The enamel coating that sealed the original texture of the wood was scraped off and polished.
The gypsum false ceiling, which was a later addition, was removed exposing the original wooden ceiling. The damaged wooden members in the ceiling were replaced and polished.
2. ENCLOSURE
Thick layers of various shades of paint covered the lime plastered walls of the structure. These layers were carefully removed to reveal the original lime plaster. Patchwork with lime was done in portions of the walls and moldings, where the plastering was missing. Entire structure was plastered with two coats of lime for an even finish throughout.
Lime is a material which allows the building to breathe and also offers high degrees of thermal insulation and condensation control. Being a historic structure, it is indeed important to use an organic material such as lime for the conservation work.
3. JOINERY WORKS
The joinery of the entire structure was corrected and polished.
4. FLOORING
Flooring in areas where incongruent materials like ceramic tiles were added were removed. The verandas, which were originally composed of terracotta tiles, were re-laid due to damage. Linoleum sheets that covered the wooden floor were removed and the original wooden flooring was polished to display its grandeur in the first floor. The existing oxide and marble flooring was polished to revive its sheen.
5. LIGHTING
The lighting of Ramanilayam has been designed to sensitize the visual expression of the heritage structure. The lighting silently reveals the beauty of the structural form, reinforcing its significance in the context. The exterior
form consists of the colonnade and warmth of the timber structure and the roof. The framing highlights of the columns were achieved by surface mount fixtures, that spread light in both directions, highlighting the inner
sides of the column. Thereby, the stepped form of the column is revealed with a coordinated pattern of light and shade. Lighting detail is not just about the object that is being lit but also about what is left in the dark that shapes the visual detail. The artwork highlighted on the ground floor is to create a visual depth by vertical highlight. The pilasters on the first floor along with the
timber railing is solely highlighted by the linear uplight carefully concealed in the base. It grazes both the sides of the pilasters, unveiling the timber pattern on the face and also subtly lights the underside of the roof structure.
The underlying idea was to carefully curate the lighting design to cleverly hide the source of the light and let the highlights visually speak for the beauty of the structure.
6. INTERIOR
Restored colonial furniture adorned the interiors. All bathrooms were renovated in congruence to the heritage structure with modern materials and fixtures.
The rich design, color and cut of each of these pieces speak volumes on the colonial life & its heritage.
The furniture came from stores like Wrenn Bennett, which is over120-years-old and whose furniture, in their heyday, reached as far as the Delhi Durbar of 1911, the royal palaces of Travancore and Cochin and the camps of the Governor of Madras.
