The Art Deco icon: The United India building that faces Law College found out what was then known as South Esplanade. This building is now located by the Lic. | Photo Credit: V. Sriram
It was 6 May, that I wrote about the style of Art Deco, which completed the century around the world. I was not completely ready for a flood of e -mails, comments and calls that followed, I remembered one or the other of the beautiful examples of this architectural style we had in this city. In this article, I deal with one of the fibers that began to observe my, and that many promoters of insurance companies have preferred Art Deco for their offices and headquarters. Sivasankar Chander will send me e -mail, which reminds me of the United India building to South Esplanade, which now houses LIC offices.
Long before his name became permanently linked to the iconic LIC building on Mount Road, although he did not tragically not to see his completion, M.CT.M. Chidambarama Chettyar (yes, spent it this way) conceptualized and built another building, this Art Deco icon.
“Favorite builder”
The United India building, which is facing Law College, found out what was then known as South Esplanade and now simply Esplanade. The architect was not Ballardie, Thompson & Mathew, as Sivasankar writes, but Kaval Lal Meht, who was a “favorite builder” M.CT.M, as S. Muthiah writes in his book Incomplete Journey: The story of M Ct M Chidambaram Chettyar. The building, when it was completed, was indeed Art Deco and one remains happily, although I wish something could be done with its poorly maintained interiors.
Landmark
Sivasankar writes about how it seemed that art deco insurance offices inspired the residences of people involved in business. Sure, the second residence of M.CT.M. In the city, Bedford Villa in San Thome, is Art Deco. And as Sivasankar says, as well as the residence of St. Sadasivana, a man who played key roles in insurance and banking. The house, which was a long -term monument to Brihadambal Street (who did she?) In Nungambakam, was replaced by a height, he says. But he sent two photographs, one of his exterior and the other, more important, his interior, which was also faithful to the style of Art Deco.
Sadasivan began his career in the Indian central bank and when M.CT.M. He founded the Indian overseas bank, was manually selected as its CEO. He was the director of the Fire and General Insurance Company board when M.CT.M. It started in 1938, the older life of United India began in 1922 and in 1924 was taken over in 1924 by the father of M.CT.M. Sir M.CT. Muthiah Chettiar. Sadasivan ended his career by joining the then Birla-Run United Commercial Bank.
It covered it all
We will return to the house on Brihadambal Street, the pictures clarify that Art Deco was not just a facade when it came to India. The interiors were also faithful to the style, and this has spread to furniture design in a big way. Why even silver had elements.
But even then modernism penetrated, Art Deco, who had a good run for two decades at best. When M.CT.M. He dreamed of large and conceptualized his United India building on Mount Road in 1953, turned to Brown & Moulin, the architect of Great Britain, when it was completed in 1959 in a modernist style, the world changed. M.CT.M. He died in 1954 in an air accident in Singapore, at the age of 46. The insurance was nationalized in 1956, so it became a well -known structure.
(V. Sriram is a writer and historian.)
Published – May 27, 2025 21:56
