WAQAR ASLAM ENGG. CONSTRUCTION CE-160 (T.

E)
NUSSERWANJEE BUILDING
INTRODUCTION:
This is the new building on the site of the Nusserwanjee building which was relocated to Clifton as a
new wing of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. The old building was marked for demolition but
was saved by concerned citizens and architects as a cultural heritage.
Shahid Abdulla, one of the founders of the Indus Valley School, excitedly called to say he had found a
beautiful old building, right in the heart of Kharadar, which was for sale and about to be demolished.
Before one could express ones reservations about the location, he quickly added,
We will save it and move it to the campus in Clifton.
Although the interiors of the structure are new the overall language of the building has been maintained
in the true spirit of the original structure which was a commercial and warehouse use building dedicated
to Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta (7 January, 1886-1 August 1952). Nusserwanjee was the first
mayor of the city and was responsible for many positive developments of Karachi, like daily road
washing etc. which are still remembered today.
There are few Images of NUSSERWANJEE BUILDING at the time Of Relocation:


WAQAR ASLAM ENGG. CONSTRUCTION CE-160 (T.E)
REASONS:
Save it from the inevitable demolition and destruction.
Provide a hands-on, once-in-a-lifetime experience to both the faculty and students, in
the area of architectural conservation.
Introduce a novel method, an alternative way, to save our architectural heritage.
Finally, Through this process of giving a fresh lease of life to the building, pay tributes
and homage to, and perpetuate the memory of, the Nusserwanjee family, particularly of
Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta, philanthropist, theosophist, the first mayor, the
architect and father of modern Karachi and without doubt, its most outstanding
citizen.
PROCEDURE:
The procedure involved the careful removal of each piece of timber and stone which was then
tagged permanently for identification, carried to the ground floor, stacked temporarily, loaded
on the trucks for transportation to the Clifton site, unloaded and re-arranged according to a
given layout. One has grave doubts if the mortality rate of the stones and other material could
have been any less if an expert was to handle the operation! The illiterate demolition
contractor with a team of unskilled labour managed to do all this, a mere 50 stones having
being broken or damaged out of the 26,000 that were retrieved
Although the exterior of the building and most interior spaces would look almost exactly the
same as the original, the construction methodology had to be altered to cater to the current
building codes. Vertical and horizontal steel sections, (which are encased in masonry during
construction), had to be introduced to brace the structure.
When complete, the Nusserwanjee building would provide an additional space of 25,000
square feet. Classes in basic design and communication skills are going on in one part of the
building and there are plans to make an art gallery to house Indus Valleys permanent art
collection.
COMMENT:
INSTEAD OF TAKING ONE BY ONE BLOCK IF HE TOOK THE WHOLE BUILDING ONTO THE ROLLER
AND EASILY PLACE THE BUILDING ONTO ITS RIGHT POSITION.