Chennai: The 18th-century Geology and Anthropology buildings at the Government Museum in Egmore are undergoing a ₹10 crore conservation makeover by public works department, to be completed by March next year.The conservation work involves roof restoration, flooring, wall plastering, and making the buildings waterproof, PWD officials said.Roof restoration forms a key component of the work. The Geology building has a reddish-brown Mangalore tile roof, a portion of which had collapsed. Roofing in the Anthropology building includes both the sloped Mangalore tile and flat Madras terrace roofing. “The Anthropology building is a bigger one compared to the Geology building, where work is happening. It is very structurally sound. The bricks and plastering of the old times are still good, and there are unique designs inside,” said a PWD official.The Anthropology building, which has a ground floor and a floor above, has a high ceiling, a stone staircase and a glass ceiling in the middle that allows light into the building. It has Minton tiles dating back to the 1890s, the official said.The Geology building is also undergoing flooring work as per the heritage method, following the same patterns as the original. “When it rains, water leaks onto the floor. Work has been carried out to make it waterproof. Doors and windows will also be restored,” the official said.Wall strengthening and crack stitching works are also under way at both buildings, and around 30% of the work is already complete. PWD officials said the project is being undertaken, with the old design and character of the buildings being retained rather than replacing them with modern structures.The 16.25-acre govt museum complex has 48 galleries across six buildings, bringing together collections built over more than a century. The museum began in 1851 with geological collections, following earlier efforts by the Madras Literary Society to establish a Museum of Economic Geology. The collections were then shifted to the Pantheon in 1854. The Anthropology collections also reflect the museum’s long evolution. Ethnology was introduced as a museum subject in 1878, with prehistoric antiquities and ethnographic material becoming part of the collection.
