| Ahmedabad Town Hall | |
| Alternate Names: | Sheth Mangaldas Girdhardas Memorial Hall |
| Building Type: | Auditorium |
| Architectural Style: | Art Deco with inspirations from Gujarati Hindu temples |
| Address: | Near Ellisbridge |
| Location City: | Ahmedabad |
| Location Country: | India |
| Start Date: | 1936[1] |
| Est Completion: | 1938 |
| Renovation Date: | 1960s, 1997-98 |
| Destruction Date: | --> |
| Owner: | Amdavad Municipal Corporation |
| Material: | Brick Wall, Concrete Dome |
| Floor Count: | 2 |
| Architect: | Claude Batley |
| Ren Architect: | Kamal Mangaldas |
| Ren Str Engineer: | Devendra Shah |
| Unit Count: | --> |
The Ahmedabad Town Hall, officially Sheth Mangaldas Girdhardas Memorial Hall, is an auditorium in Ahmedabad, India. It is named after Mangaldas Girdhardas, a textile industrialist.[2]
The town hall was constructed in 1930s as a memorial to Mangaldas Girdhardas, a noted textile industrialist in the 20th century, with funds donated by the citizens. It is owned by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.[3]
It was renovated in the 1960s under B. V. Doshi. He had opted for a false ceiling for better acoustics.
Extensive renovation was carried out in 1997-98 under architect Kamal Mangaldas, a grandson of Mangaldas Girdhardas. He removed the false ceiling and added a podium around the original building.
The town hall was designed by British architect Claude Batley in 1939, who also designed the M. J. Library next to it.[4] [5] [6]
It is an example of an Art Deco building. The plan of the building is designed by using two rotating squares placed at 45 degrees forming a star-shape. The resulting octagonal space is designed as a seating area. Rectangles are added to the front and rear of the central square which formed a vestibule and a stage respectively. The star-shaped building is capped by a dome on an octagonal space. The whole plan takes inspiration from the mandapas of Gujarati Hindu temples. The exterior has exposed bricks with stepped back corners invoking the complex exterior of Hindu temples.[7]
The thick walls were constructed from bricks and an octagonal concrete dome was constructed over it. The Chhajja and ornate grills in the structure show influence of Gujarati architectural heritage.[8]