The Metropolitan Building (Kolkata)

India / Bangla / Barabazar / Kolkata / জে,এল,নেহরু রোড, 7
 monument, heritage, historic landmark
The 'Metropolitan Building', a Heritage Building and landmark of Esplanade Square and from where The Chowringhee Road starts.

"It was where British army officers stationed in Singapore on short furlough would shop for a “decent lifestyle”. You could power-dress in tropical linen suits, sip lemon tea and dig into cucumber sandwiches for breakfast at the lifestyle retail rendezvous."

Metropolitan Building, the colonial edifice, the "Queen of Esplanade Square" , which once housed Whiteways Laidlaw & Co, the then Asia’s largest departmental store is a landmark of Esplanade Square & a superb example of British Raj architecture.

At present, it is owned by the LIC & houses many offices & stores such as Big Bazaar & The Cottage Industry Showroom. Efforts are being made to restore it under the supervision of architect Dulal Mukherjee.

Restoration job has been done but not in true sense. Iron Angles and bars nailed by the local outdoor advertising agencies, are not removed. These will be rusty in time and will crack the walls. Big bazaar

In this building

  1. HMT WATCH SHOW ROOM, KOLKATA
  2. Cottage Industry Showroom
  3. Desh Duniya Travel
  4. Old USIS (United States Information Service) site - a library with good collection of books, periodicals etc.
  5. Big Bazar
Click to show deleted objects Deleted objects
  1. allahabad bank j.l.nehru road branch
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Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   22°33'48"N   88°21'7"E

Comments

  • This bldg housed the dept. store Whyte & Laidlaw during the earlier decades of the 20th century, this branch was known to be the best on the eastern part of the Suez, rivalled only by the London branch. Now it is the property of L.I.C.I after a few change of ownerships. I was involved in the process of restoration of this heritage bldg in the last phase
  • paggy's ofc
  • Mr. Kallol, there are several places to write your contacts such as in comments or in 'Add, place etc. to this building', but please spare the heading of the building. These are the unwritten rules in Wikimapia and everyone should inculcate these. So I am erasing it.
  • Howdy! Sorry to be pedantic but the old colonial firm was called "Whiteaway Laidlaw & Co Ltd"
This article was last modified 7 years ago