Ripon Building
| Ripon Building | |
|---|---|
| இரிப்பன் கட்டிடம் | |
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 Location within Chennai
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| Alternative names | Corporation Building |
| General information | |
| Type | Government Buildings |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Town or city | Chennai |
| Country | India |
| Coordinates | 13°04′54″N 80°16′18″E / 13.0817°N 80.2716°E |
| Current tenants | Seat of the Chennai Corporation |
| Construction started | 1909 |
| Completed | 1913 |
| Cost | ₹750,000 (in 1913) |
| Owner | Government of Tamil Nadu |
The Ripon Building is the seat of the Chennai Corporation (Madras Corporation) in Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu. It is a fine example of the Neoclassical style of architecture, a combination of, Ionic and Corinthian. The Ripon Building is an all-white structure and is located near the Chennai Central railway station.
Commissioned in the year 1913, Ripon Building was designed by G.S.T. Harris. It was built by Loganatha Mudaliar, and took four years to build at a cost of ₹750,000, including a sum of ₹550,000 paid to Mudaliar. The Ripon building was named after Lord Ripon, Governor-General of British India and the Father of local self-government. Earl of Minto, the then Viceroy and Governor General of India laid the foundation on 12 December 1909. The Municipal Corporation of Madras, after functioning from several other places including Errabalu Chetty Street, settled at Ripon building in 1913, with P. L. Moore as the President of the Municipal Corporation at the time of the inauguration. The inaugural function was attended by over 3,000 of the city's elite.
The building is rectangular and is 85 metres (279 ft) long and 32 metres (105 ft) wide with a 43 metres (141 ft) central tower containing a clock 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in diameter. The first of its three floors has approximately 2,800 m2 (30,139 sq ft) of space. The walls were constructed with stock bricks, set and plastered with lime mortar and the roof is supported with teak wood joists. The original flooring of the ground floor was Cuddapah Slate that has been replaced with marble. One of the main attractions of the building is the Westminster Quarter chiming clock. This was installed by Oakes and Co. in 1913. The clock has a mechanical key system, which is wound every day. There are four bells, which were cast by Gillet and Johnston in 1913.
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