West Bengal is a land of culture and architectural marvels that leaves an indelible mark on everyone. Here is a list of a few important architectural marvels of the land and their unique features

1. Victoria Memorial

• Built between 1906 and 1921, Victoria Memorial was established to commemorate 25 years of the reign of Queen Victoria.
• It’s Indo-Saracenic revivalist architectural style was conceived by Sir William Emerson, the then President of The Royal Institute of British Architects. He was supported by his supervising architect Vincent Jerome Esch.
• Made from Makrana Quarries the height of this structure is about 200 feet and is divided into the library, garden, and other areas.
• The Victoria Memorial houses historical articles such as the cannon used in the Battle of Plassey, rare books and manuscripts, e.t.c.

2. Howrah Bridge

• This iconic landmark of Kolkata connects the cities of Howrah and Kolkata and was constructed by the Braithwaite Burn and Jessop Construction Company Ltd.
• This massive Cantilever bridge was the third longest such bridge during the time of its construction. Howrah Bridge doesn’t have any nuts and bolts.
• It was actually established by riveting (joining two structures with plates) the entire structure.
• It took 26,500 tonnes of steel to complete the entire structure.
• This also constitutes about 23,000 tonnes of high-tensile alloy steel.
• Howrah Bridge was actually designed by Mr Walton from M/S Rendel, Palmer and Triton. The cost of the entire project was about INR 25 million.

3. Shaheed Minar

• Formerly known as Ochterlony Monument, Shaheed Minar was constructed in 1828 in memory of the British Commander Sir David Ochterlony.
• Located in Esplanade, Shaheed Minar is a perfect blend of the Egyptian, Turkish and Syrian style of architecture and was designed by J.P Parker. It has a fluted column and the upper portion of the tower resembles Syrian architectural style with a dome on Turkish design.
• In 1969, this tower was dedicated to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle of India.
• Mark Twain once famously identified this towering figure as the “Cloud kissing Monument.”

SRMB Konstrukt salutes the civil engineers and architects who gave us such iconic structures. Konstrukt 2.0, an initiative by SRMB, salutes such architects by giving away awards for architects to acknowledge their excellence. For more details, visit konstrukt.co.in