Originally constructed in 1904 as the office of the Eastman Kodak company, it was later occupied by Deutsche Bank. The school acquired the site in 2017. The mother-daughter are both alumni, and have previously restored the three school buildings. The fourth building is the school’s most recent acquisition. Its principal Dr Sonal Parmar says, “The school is grounded in the idea of the present and draws strength from the past. Hence, we, including our board of trustees, felt that a heritage building would be the best fit.”

Classrooms are structured as part of a seamless plan, with modular furniture; the lab is an effortless blend of the old and new

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While it was originally envisaged as the international curriculum building, the school will now house the ISC and IB boards. A year and half ago, a casual chat with her students was an eye-opener; they  would like for both boards to move in together. “I always tell them to question things—and now, I had to walk the talk. After much thought, I felt that it would be unfair if our most upgraded building was allocated only to the IB students. We owe our best to all students.”

The restored façade of the neoclassical building. The school’s four buildings are not on the same premises, similar to New York where often, an entire school/university isn’t situated on the same campus.

Onsite, Brinda and Nandini had their share of challenges, and yet, an excited Brinda says, “I feel like I am going back to school! The original architectural vocabulary of this gorgeous building had to be revisited.” She’s referring to the tiny cubicles and false ceilings synonymous with a bank. Their other task was adaptive reuse. “From an office space, we had to reimagine it as a school, which required a multipurpose hall, labs, a café, and classrooms with the latest technology, fire safety equipment, an elevator.”

DN Road’s incessant traffic is our background score as we move around the unoccupied premises. What will the vibe be like when the students move in after the Diwali holidays? Parmar’s words resonate, “The challenge begins now; it is a beautifully restored building but a brick-and-mortar structure after all. It’s the collective responsibility of our teachers, students and staff to lend it character.”

Brinda and Nandini Somaya

Based on the wide-angle spectacle of the precinct that we enjoy from the terrace, we ask about this site’s relevance. Some surrounding structures are in decay, others in semi-survival mode, while a few are lucky, like Kodak House.

Brinda weighs in: “This restored landmark is hugely important because it has value not just as an individual building but [because of its standing] in the precinct. If others adopt this approach, imagine how beautiful it would be to walk from VT to Flora Fountain, under this road’s magnificent arcades? It was laid out with the vision to offer a sense of continuity where despite different architectural styles, it still exhibited a relationship with each other.”