(Continued from last fortnight)

The Kothari Building by Krish Chitale.

Unlike his father, the leg-endary L.M. Chitale, who was born in a family of limited means, Krish Chitale was born to parents who had prospered and had an easier life. But he lost his mother when he was only 8 years old and had a difficult childhood thereafter, as he was brought up by friends and relatives since his father was away most of the time. When his father passed away in 1960, Krish Chitale had to step into the larger-than-life shoes of his father. He was only 28 years old at the time.

Born in Tarapore, Maha­rash­tra, in 1932 Krish Chitale had his schooling in Madras at P S Senior Secondary School and Madras Christian College School. He got his degree in architecture from Sir JJ School of Architecture, Bombay, where he met his future wife Sushila, a Gujarati girl from Bombay. Immediately after passing out of the JJ School he joined his father’s firm in Madras. It was not long before he married Sushila, a qualified architect herself, who also joined the firm and was with it till the arrival of their son in 1960.

Between 1952 and 2003, the year Krish Chitale handed over the mantle to his son Kapil Chitale, he was actively involved in designing landmark buildings in South India. When I asked him about the difference between the style of designing buildings during his and his father’s time, he said, “In my father’s time the emphasis was on symmetry and grandeur. But the buildings that I have designed are all different because I believe good design implies change. You cannot see a Chitale stamp in my buildings. Each one will be different. Besides, I pay a lot of attention to wind direction and how to make the best use of natural light.”

According to him, the Kothari Building on Nun­gambakkam High Road is one of the first buildings in Madras to use sun control louvres. In Tarapore Tower, another landmark building on Anna Salai that Chitale designed, he used solid fire-proof walls between the individual shops, so that in case of a fire in one shop it will be contained in that area. “I ­believe that every building should have its own identity created by a simple and expressive architecture corresponding to its specific functions and ­location,” says Krish Chitale.

Since Krish Chitale took over the mantle, Chitale & Son has been involved in designing and building scores of buildings. The list of clients of Chitale & Son reads like a “who’s who” of the country.

Krish Chitale is also known for his interest in preserving heritage in the city. “I am a die-hard believer in conserving heritage buildings. I have made sure that whenever we renovate such buildings, we respect them for what they are because they are our history.” He recalls his efforts in renovating the Library and District Boardroom of the Free Masons Grand Lodge of Madras District, located in the campus of the Free Masons Hall, off Ethiraj Salai, Chennai. A small building but an eye­catching one after restoration.

While he and his son have kept the flag of Chitale & Son flying high as a leading architect firm in South India, it is Krish Chitale's total involvement in several voluntary organisations that have helped him get a reputation as a social activist with a difference. Working with Round Table and Rotary, he contributed significantly to Family Planning programme of the Corporation of Madras, the establishment of Child Trust’s Hospital in Nungambakkam, the successful implementation of the Red Measles immuni­sation programme, and the massive polio eradication program­me which was later adopted by Rotary International. “Doing social service is my hobby,” he says.

As for the legacy he will be leaving behind, he quips, “Well, I have managed to keep the name of ‘Chitale & Son’ going for 81 years. I hope Kapil, who is already heading the business, will take it forward, with its reputation intact, to reach the milestone of 100 years!”

(Concluded)