The Mall will soon have a standard format for shop signboards to enhance the historic architectural beauty of its buildings, said Dilkash Lahore architect Zahid Hussain on Sunday.
The city district government has already launched a project aimed at restoring the façade of historical buildings in the city. Four buildings have been chosen in the first phase. They are the Shah Din building, which was built in 1910 and is partly owned by the National Insurance Company; Ghulam Rasool building, which was built in 1916 and houses Ferozsons, Bawa Dinga Singh building, which was built in 1927 and houses a Bata store, and Ahmad Mansion, also known as Lakshmi Mansion, which dates back to 1927.
A committee has been formed to look after the project. The committee includes District Coordination Officer Noorul Amin Mengal, Municipal Services EDO Masud Tamanna, PHA DG Muhammad Mahmood, Saleema Hashmi, Dr Ajaz Anwar and Yousaf Salahuddin.
There was a time when on the ground floor of the Shah Din building, the Taj Company printed Holy Quran. On its first floor, there was a recording studio, said Hussain.
He said they would be able to restore the original façade of the four building in four months. He said they would meet the owners of Lakshmi Mansion and Bawadinga Singh building to highlight the project importance and get an NOC. He said if they were successful in restoring the historical buildings, it would attract a large number of tourists to Lahore.
He said shops signboards would be designed and a standard format would be maintained for all. He said big and colourful shop designs spoil the historical and architectural beauty of the buildings.
In a statement, DCO Mengal said the old and historical buildings on The Mall would be preserved without changing their structure. He said the original identity and beauty of Lahore was due to its historical structures.
It is pertinent to mention here that regulating the streamers, billboards and shop signs was a subject of the Parks and Horticulture Authority. The PHA director general said the signboards of franchises were regulated by the PHA whereas the signboards of ordinary shops were looked after by the PHA and the CDGL. He said the standards set would not be very rigid and would not make the boards monotonous.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2012.
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