MONUMENTAL CHALLENGE

Heritage management expert Surbhi Gupta discloses how the love for history has helped her execute illustrious conservation projects. She talks to Shraddha Kamdar about her journey

- Shraddha Kamdar

It’s not every day that a person gets interested in monuments that the various dynasties have left for the countrymen to wonder upon. While modern buildings and glass panels are exciting, the cultural gems of the country were always of interest to architect and conservation expert Surbhi Gupta. So, when she decided to take a year off from work to study the intricacies of heritage management, she knew she could trust her gut. “In college, it was not a conscious decision. I was, however, fascinated with historical studies and enjoyed classes where we studied the history of architecture,” she remembers. From there stemmed the seeds of many college projects, revolving around conservation and adaptive use of buildings.

Post her Bachelor’s in Architecture from CEPT University, Ahmedabad , Gupta worked for a few years, including a stint at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), during which she decided to study further, which took her to the Architectural Association (AA) in London to pursue her Master’s in History, Theory, and Criticism. Inspired by the simple and elegant work of Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the expert clarifies that the reason for the break was to take out time to primarily read on a topic close to her heart.