Coimbatore Club | KSM Architecture

An exclusive club with less than 400 members, the Coimbatore Club was established around 1870, set up by British tea planters.  By the 1950s membership increased and subsequently various additions were made.  Over the years the buildings began to deteriorate, and the Club building attained a fairly amorphous form with all the appendages that grew around the Main Lounge building over time.  The linkages between the various areas were circuitous, and often one had to go outside and around the building to reach the toilet.  There was little visual connect between spaces in the building. 

The buildings were analysed for their structural stability, and accordingly the weakened buildings were demolished. The main porch, Club lounge, the Old Colonial bar and a more recently added toilet block were retained.  

To achieve better connectivity and visual linkages, walkways were introduced in the buildings and verandahs wrapped around existing structures.  A family bar and a reading room were added to the Club along with a visitor's waiting and office.

The existing buildings were built out of a combination of stone and brick masonry and lime mortar.  Steel, glass, stone and concrete were the material used to make the newer buildings.  All the junctions have been meticulously detailed giving ample allowance for expansion and settlement while preventing water leakage from rain.

The project was all about restoring the dignity and beauty of a 140 year old club, wrapping it with an envelope of timeless material that are current today, with the promise that they continue to age gracefully together over time.