Victoria Public Hall slated for October reopening

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation has marked October for the most anticipated reopening of the Victoria Public Hall. The prolonged renovation works for the British-era hall were valued at Rs 32.62 crore under the Singara Chennai 2.0 project.

Speaking to DT Next, Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumaar said the renovation of the iconic Victoria Public Hall was almost complete, and they were awaiting the chief minister's date for the reopening.

"We did not get his dates for this month (September). So we expect the reopening will be scheduled before the second week of October," said the deputy mayor.

The upgraded Victoria Public Hall is expected to be added to the roster of tourist attractions in the city. According to the GCC, the first floor of the town hall will serve as an administrative wing and cultural space to accommodate exhibitions and art programmes. The ground floor will house a museum.

The revamp included renovating the interior and exterior, repairing the roof, adapting the ground and first floors for modern use, upgrading wooden floors and stairs, installing artistic lighting and landscaping, without disturbing the original core structure.

A senior GCC official told DT Next that only minor flooring works were pending, and a grass lawn was being laid outside the hall. The official added, "Almost 95 per cent of the works are completed. The government is planning to set up a museum on the ground floor and an auditorium on the first floor."

The restoration work began in March 2023 under Singara Chennai 2.0 and was scheduled to be completed in two years. The hall was modified to ensure it can withstand natural calamities like earthquakes.

Sir Ananda Gajapathi Row, the then Maharajah of Vizianagaram (Vijayanagaram), laid the foundation stone for the Victoria Public Hall in December 1883. Nested between the Ripon Building and the Moore Market Complex, the hall was designed by British architect Robert Fellowes Chisholm and constructed by Thatikonda Namperumal Chetty. The construction was completed in 1887.

C Rakesh, a resident of Purasawalkam, stated, "I admire the red-bricked building next to the Chennai Central station and Moore Market Complex. It is happy to see the Chennai Corporation put efforts to preserve a monument like this. The buildings have taken on a good shape in the past couple of years. I'm excited to see what's all inside the building."