The Time Machine

An artful restoration of a colonial building by Ar. Dinesh Panwar creates a special home for a Delhi-based family.

- Elizabeth Eapen

This is the story of a heritage site classified by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission that had fallen to ruin. Its 140-ft long facade was dominated by crumbling arches, and it was a dilapidated structure with a number of boxy rooms measuring 9 ft by 9 ft, infested with rodents and weakened by waterlogging. This is also the story of a homeowner who took a gamble and an optimistic and determined architect. Along with them were a team of structural engineers and a labour force skilled in traditional building techniques. These little stories, each important in their own right, came together in the restoration of an almost 100-year-old building in the Civil Lines area of Delhi, now transformed into a luxurious contemporary home.