8 impeccably restored heritage spaces across India

India is a melting pot of designs and styles, which one can immediately notice through its architecture. From majestic forts to ornate havelis, the country’s architectural legacy is as diverse as its culture, where ancient structures stand as testaments to the country's rich history and design aesthetic. While many historic buildings fell into disrepair over the years, there has been a renewed interest in preserving India's built heritage. Thoughtful restoration projects have breathed new life into myriad sites, highlighting the beauty within antiquity.

These heritage properties offer windows into bygone eras, even as their renewed purpose connects them firmly to the modern day, demonstrating how the ancient and modern often coexist in harmony—encapsulating the country's dynamic spirit.

Calcutta Bungalow, Kolkata

Nestled within the bustling metropolis of Kolkata, Calcutta Bungalow—a restored townhouse built in the 1920s—embodies a fascinating blend of history, restoration, architectural design, and a unique story. Remarkably, the building was structurally stable, requiring minimal reinforcement. It featured two courtyards, providing a tranquil sanctuary beneath the open sky. The acquisition process proved to be a lengthy endeavour, involving negotiations with a dysfunctional Bengali joint family, who had not invested in the dwelling. However, their neglect inadvertently preserved the bungalow’s architectural details and original character, providing a valuable foundation for the restoration efforts.

With minimal intervention required, the design vision for Calcutta Bungalow embraced simplicity and humility, paying homage to the lifestyle of an early 1900s upper middle-class household. The interiors featured a subdued colour scheme, ensuring that the building's age was gracefully showcased without a jarring sense of newness. The project consciously incorporated upcycled and reclaimed items, cherishing the essence of a bygone era. Wood and iron were salvaged from demolished buildings across the city, and louvred windows known as khorkhoris found new life as courtyard installations and bedside tables. Portable typewriters, functional in each room, allowed guests to compose letters and embrace nostalgia.

Also read: Looking into the last remnants of the built heritage of Amritsar

Nila House, Jaipur

A family home that was in complete disrepair when discovered, Nila House in Jaipur now stands as a series of open studios and collection showrooms, with an archive and research library, exhibition gallery, textiles vault, and artists-in-residence rooms.

With his sensitivity towards craft, sustainability and community, AD100 architect Bijoy Jain renovated the heritage bungalow, dating back to the 1940s, to create a space with a simple open-plan layout that reflected the house’s approach towards preserving tradition. By using locally sourced natural materials such as lime plaster, local stone and marble, and landscaping the outdoors to celebrate local flora and fauna, the restored structure paid an environmentally sensitive homage to Jaipur’s aesthetic heritage, while invoking a contemporary spirit to inspire innovative thinking about the future of restoration, conservation and sustainable design.

Bikaner House, Delhi

Originally designed as the royal residence for the Rajput rulers of the princely state of Bikaner, Bikaner House holds a significant place in the architectural landscape of New Delhi. Constructed during the reign of Maharaja Ganga Singh, the visionary leader of Bikaner (1887 to 1943 AD), this majestic edifice stands as a testament to the grandeur and taste of its original patrons. The house was initially envisioned by renowned architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker but later entrusted to Charles G. Blomfield.

The architectural design of Bikaner House marries western influences with subtle elements of Rajput traditions, with distinctive chattris or canopy-styled domes paying homage to Rajasthani-style architecture. The ground floor of the residence accommodates reception suites, private rooms and guest quarters, while the first floor serves as the zenana—the secluded women's quarters. Recognized as a Grade II heritage building by the Archaeological Survey of India, Bikaner House has undergone meticulous restorations to revive it to its original splendour. On 18th November 2015, it opened its doors to the public, after being transformed into a world-class cultural centre managed by the Government of Rajasthan.

Also read: Stories from Goan Houses by author Heta Pandit documents the state's architectural heritage

Kathiawadi House, Mumbai

Kathiawadi House, located in the heart of Mumbai, stands as a remarkable testament to the adaptive reuse of heritage properties. Originally an Art Deco townhouse constructed in the 1940s by the renowned art collector and then sheriff of Mumbai, Jehangir Nicholson, it found a new patron in Sangita Devi Kathiwada (a discerning connoisseur of the arts), who completely redesigned the house in 2002 to align with her contemporary lifestyle.

In 2020, Kathiwadi House opened its doors to a select few, warmly welcoming members of Circle 1434—a private community of culturally curious and creative individuals. Serving as a sanctuary for art, objets and statement pieces of furniture, the heritage bungalow echoes the owner's personal unwavering commitment to heritage restoration.

5. Mandalay Hall, Cochin

Mattancherry—the historic Jew town in Kochi, where the Jewish community traces back their ancestry to King Solomon’s time—is home to a historically significant Dutch Burgher style heritage structure, Mandalay Hall. To bridge the gap between the town’s rich past and Kochi’s bustling present, architect Tony Joseph and his team at Stapati adaptively resurrected the structure, repurposing all its wood, keeping interventions to a bare minimum and converting it into a boutique hotel.

The original rustic walls were retained and complemented with textured grey polished cement flooring, while the wooden ceilings were reinforced to retain the original height of each space. Finer details included repairing old windows, adding no separations or divisions within each space. For the new additions, the open courtyard was sensitively landscaped, while artist K G Babu created a mural on one of its façades. Each luxury room in the hotel is now referred to as a gallery, housing custom installations by various artists, creating an colourful immersive experience within each space.

Also read: Heritage is the true luxury at Kolkata boutique Bombaim

6. The House of MG, Ahmedabad

Within the Historic City of Ahmedabad—a UNESCO-declared World Heritage City—The House of MG stands as a premier boutique heritage hotel, proudly preserving the architectural colonial heritage of the early 20th century. As one of the city's oldest buildings, it exudes an enchanting charm that captures the essence of a bygone era. With 38 meticulously designed rooms, the hotel seamlessly blends modern comforts with an atmosphere of grandeur and homeliness.

Over the course of the past two decades, a painstaking restoration process with an unwavering commitment to authenticity has breathed new life into this architectural gem. Every piece of furniture and textile adorning its interiors is lovingly handcrafted, often repurposed from materials with a storied past.

7. The Belgadia Palace, Odisha

Nestled in the district of Mayurbhanj, The Belgadia Palace stands as a testament to the rich history and architectural grandeur of the Bhanja dynasty. Its construction commenced in 1804 under the vision of Dowager Maharani Sumitra Devi Bhanj Deo, and over the years, intricate designs were added by her descendants.

The palace proudly displays exquisite art pieces created by renowned artists from the district, showcasing the region's artistic heritage. Additionally, the architecture in the vicinity, dating back to the 8th and 14th centuries, further enhances the palace's charm. Its idyllic setting invites guests to indulge in leisurely pursuits, such as engaging in games of croquet, savouring afternoon tea near the inviting outdoor swimming pool, and strolling amidst the meticulously manicured mango orchards that adorn the property.

8. Raw Mango, Chennai

Fashion label Raw Mango’s fifth flagship boutique—housed in an Art Deco-style once-upon-a-time residential bungalow in Chennai—is designed like a gallery, where every corner has a quiet story to tell. The serene white villa built in the 1960s also displays overlapping South Indian styles across its layers, with several elements that almost look local and blend in with the surrounding landscape.

In this store, there are six rooms with four common spaces that connect them. Upon entering the villa, one is greeted by a glazed ceramic bust of Rama Varma XV (the former Rajarshi of the Kingdom of Cochin) sitting atop an antique Art Deco wooden pedestal at the entrance; which leads the way to a 18th century wooden statue of Saint Roch (the patron saint of dogs, invalids and the falsely accused). In another space, one will stumble upon clay Golu dolls from Tamil Nadu, a Burmese Ram-shaped gullak (piggy bank), and a Fereshteh (cherub) mounted on the walls. Antique wooden statues used as mannequins are just one of those paradigm-shifting concepts found here.