Are cultural and historical legacies preserved in the brick and mortar of our city’s buildings? If so, how do we conserve what we preserve? And what is the role of conservation in our contemporary cultural formation?

These are the questions that Calcutta’s leading cultural practitioners, conservationists, architects, and heritage enthusiasts contend with in their efforts to retain, reinvent, and revitalise the historical structures that contribute to the city’s character.

Against the backdrop of industrialization and urban development, protection and care for Calcutta’s heritage properties is becoming increasingly essential to maintaining a ledger of the city’s history. Offering – quite literally – a layered understanding of our history and cultural identity, Calcutta’s heritage properties are living testaments to the city, region, and nation’s colonial history and cultural influences. With this in mind, our discussants share all that is involved – concretely and culturally – in reinventing historical buildings for contemporary communities.