Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is to build a replica of the century-old Krumbiegel Hall that was razed earlier this week in the sprawling Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in the city centre here due to its dilapidated condition, a senior official said on Saturday.
“With the recent heavy rains in the city, the old building was in a deteriorating condition, which was why it was decided to be demolished.
“There is a plan for a replica of the building keeping in mind its architecture and to bring back the old glory,” an official of the Chief Minister’s Office told IANS here.
The hall was dedicated to German botanist and garden designer Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, the man who was known best for his work on developing the well-known Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in the southern city.
The Horticulture Department of the state, which is responsible for the maintenance of the building, had demolished the heritage structure on Wednesday.
“The building had become so damaged that it could not be restored and the Public Works Department had declared that it was unsafe to let it remain,” the official noted.
The replica will retain the old photographs and would be thrown open to students and public. “It would be a living library,” the official added.
Lalbagh Gardens are the popular botanical lawns spread across 240 acres in the heart of the city, with trees that are over 100 years old and with over 1,000 species of flora.
The gardens are one of the popular landmarks in the city, with a number of flower shows held each year during Republic Day. The road adjacent to the gardens has been named after the renowned botanist as Krumbiegel Road.
Apart from the gardens, Krumbiegel was also known for choosing the avenue trees (trees on the sides of the roads for landscaping) for the city.
IANS