Vishrambagwada was the last building built by the Peshwas in Pune. Built in 1808 as a pleasure palace, it was used as a Sanskrit school till 1840. The Deccan College, Poona College and Engineering College all started from here! Later, it was the headquarters of the Pune Municipal Corporation but was then relegated to relative oblivion. Its fortunes changed again in the 1980s, and today it houses a city history museum, a shop selling souvenirs made by women's groups, Babasaheb Purandare's Shivasrushti and a venue for cultural performances. At our Online Talk #PleasurePalace, conservation architect Kiran Kalamdani tells the story of the Wada, intertwined with his own, as Vishrambagwada has been a part of his life as a child, as a student of architecture, as an undergraduate thesis subject and finally as a project stretching over twenty years as a conservation architect.

About the speaker:

Kiran Kalamdani is an architect, urban designer and conservationist. A founder member of IUDI (Institute of Urban Designers India) and CACI (Conservation Architects Community of India), Kiran is actively involved in journalism and academics. He is also a member of the IIA, AESA, INTACH and the Ferrocement Society. He practices in Chinchwad with his wife and partner, Anjali. Their practice is called Kimaya. They have received a UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit for their conservation work on  Sakhargadniwasini temple at Kinhai and an Honorable Mention for the Parvatinandan temple at Ganeshkhind. Their ongoing conservation projects works include the Ghats of Pandharpur and Pune’s Shaniwar Wada, Tulshibag and Vishrambagwada.