PANAJI
Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude on Monday made light of the concerns expressed by architects and domain experts over the renovation of the Kala Academy and asserted that the Charles Correa Foundation cannot dictate terms.
"Who are they to dictate terms to the government? It is not possible to retain all the old features at the time of such major repairs," Gaude said.
Gaude also sought to question the efficacy of the original design of the iconic edifice, saying if the original design was perfect in all aspects then how come flooding and leakages were experienced all these years.
The minister, however, added that whatever concerns the Charles Correa Foundation has, they can discuss with the member-secretary of Kala Academy and respective officials of the PWD which is the government department responsible for executing the work.
On Saturday last week, the Charles Correa Foundation organised a discussion on the Kala Academy renovation work where questions were raised over possible neglect in retaining the original architectural and related features of the Charles Correa designed masterpiece.
Concerns were raised that the consultant and contractors may not pay enough attention to acoustics, colour schemes and also retaining the Mario Miranda murals and work of other artists which adorn the internal walls and spaces.
Charles Correa Foundation trustee Nondita Correa Mehrotra felt there was no transparency over the work to restore the architectural layer which if gone awry could cause the most damage in terms of retaining the originality of the iconic cultural space.
The renovation of the Kala Academy project has been ongoing for the last two years and is costing the government approximately Rs 50 crore.
It was originally designed by renowned architect of Goan origin Charles Correa, built in the early 1980s, and renovated once in 2003-04 when Kala Academy became the fulcrum of the venues to host the International Film Festival of India.
