A PRESENTATION ON

RUPLAL HOUSE:
A LOST HERITAGE OF GLORY
RUPLAL HOUSE
(RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE STYLE)
FARASHGANJ, DHAKA, BANGLADESH

SITE PLANS
LOCATION

THE RUPLAL HOUSE IS LOCATED IN THE

SOUTH-EASTERN CORNER OF OLD DHAKA
NEAR THE BANK OF THE RIVER BURIGANGA
AND AN EMBANKMENT CALLED BUCKLAND
BUND BEGINS FROM HERE ELONGATED
TOWARDS IMAMGANJ IN THE NORTH EAST
DIRECTIONS. THE SADARGHAT TERMINAL IS
JUST WITHIN 500 YARDS BY THE SIDE OF
THE
RIVER FROM EMBANKMENT
HISTORY
BUILT BY : ARMENIAN BUSINESSMAN
STEPHEN ARATOON (1825)
BROUGHT BY : RUPLAL DAS &
RAGHUNATH DAS (1840)
REMARKABLE EVENT:
RUPLAL HOUSE FIRST CAME INTO
LIMELIGHT IN 1886 WHEN RUPLAL DAS
THREW A BALL DANCE PARTY IN THE
HONOR OF THE VICEROY OF INDIA LORD
DUFFERIN.

AFTER THE PARTICIPATION OF INDIA IN

1947,THE FAMILY OF RUPLAL DAS LEFT
FOR KOLKATA.IN 1962 THROUGH A
FORMAL DEED OF EXCHANGE,SIDDICK
JAMALL BOUGHT THE HOUSE.
FLOOR PLAN OF RUPLAL HOUSE

RUPLAL BLOCK
CENTRAL BLOCK
ROGHUNATH BLOCK
FEATURES

CORINTHIAN COLUMNS
TRIANGULAR PEDIMENT
ARCHWAYS
VARENDAS
SERVICE
ZONING
FORMAL PUBLIC
FORMAL

PRIVATE
PRIVATE

SERVICE
ELEVATIONS

THE GREAT DANCEHALL

RIVER SIDE ELEVATION

FRONT ELEVATION
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
RUPLAL HOUSE HAD THREE DISTINCT BLOCKS OF DIFFERENT
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE. THESE BLOCKS ARE COMPLETELY
SEPARATE IN THE GROUND FLOOR BUT CONNECTED TO
EACH OTHER AT THE UPPER LEVEL.
• RUPLAL BLOCK
• RAGHUNATH BLOCK
• CENTRAL BLOCK

RUPLAL BLOCK CENTRAL ROGHUNATH

BLOCK BLOCK
RUPLAL BLOCK
AREA: 25,000 SQ.FT

1.ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
• NEO-CLASSICAL STYLE
• THIS GRAND WING WAS SQUARE IN PLAN
WITH A SQUARE CENTRAL COURTYARD
• MAIN ENTRY IS FROM THE NORTHERN
PORTICO WITH A TRIANGULAR PEDIMENT
OVER FLUTED COLUMNS WITH CORINTHIAN
CAPITALS
• SECONDARY ENTRY FROM THE FRONT COURT
THROUGH THE SERIES OF ARCHWAYS
• SERVICE BLOCK LOWERING HEIGHT IS
SLIGHTLY DETACHED FROM THE MAIN BLOCK.
2.STRUCTURAL FEATURES
FOUNDATION: LOAD BEARING BRICK MASONRY
FOUNDATION IS USED AS THE SUPERSTRUCTURE
WITHOUT USINGANY REINFORCEMENT. THERE IS
NO CRACK OR SAG SEEN IN THE FOUNDATION.
PLINTH IS 2’ HIGH FROM THE GROUND LEVEL.
ƒWALLS: LOAD BEARING 25” THICK. BRICK
MASONRY IS LAYERED IN WALLS. LIME CONCRETE
IS USED AS THE
MORTAR AND PLASTERING MATERIALS.
ƒCOLUMNS: THREE TYPES OF COLUMNS; NEO-
CORINTHIAN, CIRCULAR, SQUARES COLUMNS.
ƒARCH: SERVE AS LINTELS MADE OF BRICKS OVER
THE DOORS, WINDOWS, AND ALSO ON THE
CIRCULATION
PASSAGES.
ƒBEAMS: STEEL I BEAM. FOR WIDE SPAN DOUBLE
STEEL BEAMS ARE USED.
STEEL I BEAM OF SIZE- 3”X6”, 4”X8” AND 6”X12”
WOODEN BEAMS: TRADITIONALLY CALLED
KARIBARGA; SIZE 3”X3”
FLOOR: 11” THICK LAYERED FLOOR OF RED
OXIDE, BRICK MASONRY TILES, LIME
CONCRETE, KARIBARGA.
ƒROOF: AS SAME AS FLOOR.
ƒSTAIR –CASE: WOODEN STAIR CASES. ONE
STAIR IS PARTLY REINFORCED. WOODEN
STAIRS ARE USED WITH IRONJOISTS.
ƒMATERIAL: BRICKS ARE USED AS THE MAIN
BUILDING MATERIAL. THEY ARE VARIED IN
SIZE AND SHAPE. BRICK
TILES ARE USED IN THE CORNICE.
ƒPLASTER: LIME CONCRETE. NO BLISTER IS
SEEN IN THE WALLS AND COLUMNS BECAUSE
OF USING GLUE.
FINISH MATERIALS: MARBLE TILES, TERRAZZO,
RED OXIDE, COLORED GLASS
RAGHUNATH BLOCK
AREA: 12,000 SQ.FT
1.ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
• LIES IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COMPLEX.
• NO ARCHES IN THE FAÇADE
WHICH FACES THE ENTRANCE
COURT IN THE NORTH
• CAPITAL- INDIAN ORIGIN
• circular
• BRICK COLUMNS WITH PLAIN
SQUARE CAPITALS
• TWO RECTANGULAR COURTYARDS
2.ZONING AND HIERARCHY OF SPACES
SERVICE AREAS ARE GROUPED TOGETHER AND LOCATED AT THE REAR SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND STAIRS ARE AT
CORNERS.
A GRADUAL SEQUENCES OF SPACES UNFOLDS AS GOING UP TO THE STAIRS ON THE TRANSITIONAL SPACE- THE
VERANDA, ACROSS THE LIVING ROOM TO THE BEDROOMS AND BEYOND THAT THE OPEN INTERIOR COURT AND
THEN TO THE SERVICE BLOCKS.

3. LIGHTING AND VENTILATION

THE TWO INTERIOR OPEN COURTS ACT AS LIGHT WELLS
AND ALLOW ENOUGH LIGHT AND AIR TO THE ROOMS OF
BOTH FLOORS. EACH ROOM HAS A CONSIDERABLE
NUMBER OF DOORS AND WINDOWS.
STRUCTURAL FEATURES

• 22” LOAD BEARING BRICK MASONRY AS RUPLAL

BLOCK.
• BRICK AND LIME MORTAR ARE USED HERE.
• WALLS ARE FINISHED WITH LIME PLASTER AND
PAINT
• FLOORS WERE CONSTRUCTED WITH BURNT CLAY
TILES COVERED WITH LIME CONCRETE FINISHED
AND RED OXIDE.
• CEILING SUPPORTED ON WOODEN BEAMS WHICH
RUN ALONG THE LENGTH AT ONE TILE LENGTH
APART.
• THIS FRAME IS FIXED IN THE WALLS WITH STEEL
PLATES.
• ABSENCE OF STEEL I BEAM.
• THE ROOF HAS A LAYER OF LIME TERRACING.
• BRICK ARCHES ARE USED
CENTRAL BLOCK
AREA: 9000 SQ.FT

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
• THIS BLOCK HAS SIMILARITY WITH RUPLAL
BLOCK BUT IN PLAN THIS IS VERY ALIKE TO
AHSAN MANZIL
• TWO ARCHWAYS CONNECT THIS TO THE
RUPLAL AND RAGHUNATH BLOCK
• CONSISTS OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, SUCH
AS BALLROOMS, CLASSICAL MUSIC HALL ETC.
• THERE ARE DOUBLE VERANDAHS ON BOTH
THE SIDES OF THE BLOCK WHICH MAKES THE
PLACE AIRY AND CREATE INDOOR OUTDOOR
RELATIONSHIPS
STRUCTURAL FEATURES
• THIS BLOCK IS CONSTRUCTED OF LOAD BEARING
WALLS; COLUMNS ARE USED IN VERANDAH AND THE
PORTICO.
• 2’6” THICK WALL AND ENTIRELY CONSTRUCTED OF
BRICK MASONRY BECAUSE OF 22’ HIGH DANCE HALL
• FLOORS MADE OF BRICK TILES THAT REST ON THE
WOODEN CROSS BEAM SYSTE
• THE MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATURE OF THE DANCE
HALLS IS ITS WOODEN FLOORS WHICH ARE MADE
OFWOODEN PLANKS, REST ON THICK WOODEN
BEAMS
• MOST OF THE OPENINGS ARE ARCHED AND MADE OF
BRICK THAT EXCLUDE THE USE OF LINTELS.
• LIME CONCRETE AS BONDING MATERIAL ALSO USED
IN THE FLOOR OF DANCE HALL.
• MOSAIC & MIRRORS ARE USED IN THE INTRICATE
DECORATIONS ON THE CEILING OF THE DANCE HALL
• COLORED GLASS WAS USED TO CREATE THE DRAMATIC
SPACE QUALITY.
PRESENT CONDITION
TODAY, THE RUPLAL HOUSE IS OCCUPIED BY LOCAL SPICE AND VEGETABLE
MERCHANTS AND A COLONY OF UNAUTHORIZED SQUATTERS. IT HAS
RECENTLY BEEN "PROTECTED" BY THE BENGALI DEPARTMENT OF
ARCHAEOLOGY; BUT A COLONY OF SQUATTERS STILL CONTINUE TO OCCUPY
PARTS OF THE BUILDING. ACTION IS URGENTLY NEEDED TO PRESERVE THIS
ARTISTIC ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURE FROM FURTHER DECAY.
RESTORATION MODEL OF RUPLAL
HOUSE
REFERENCES
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruplal_House
• http://www.hdm.lth.se/fileadmin/hdm/alumni/papers/CMHB
_2009/Bangladesh_-_Sanjida_Ahmed_-_
Ruplal_house.pdf
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caXLycyEDi0
• https://
www.dhakatribune.com/magazine/2018/03/18/dhakas-herita
ge-heroes
• https://www.jstor.org/stable/41757870?seq=1
• https://
www.researchgate.net/figure/The-traditional-pattern-of-vern
acular-architecture-a-cluster-around-a-courtyard-echoed_fig1
_338141198