Edward House ( ur, ) is a building which is located in the Civil Lines area of

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

, Pakistan It was designed by the Iraqi-Jewish architect

Moses Somake Moses Somake ( – ) was a British architect known for designing several prominent buildings in British India. His works, built before the Partition of India and located in modern-day Pakistan, include the Edward House, BVS Parsi High School, Ka ...

in 1910, and named after Somake's son, Ellis Edward.

Architecture

Edward House is made of local Gizri sandstone and limestone, with ornamental molds. Adjoining, there is another mansion known as Victoria Mansion, which may have also been designed by Samoke given the similarity in style - although no records exist recording his work there.

Use

It used to house the Cafe Grand, operated by Herbert Bertie Cumper. The cafe was frequented by Karachi's elite, including the founder of Pakistan,

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...

, and his sister

Fatima Jinnah Fatima Jinnah ( ur, ; 31 July 1893 – 9 July 1967), widely known as Māder-e Millat ("Mother of the Nation"), was a Pakistani stateswoman, politician, dental surgeon and one of the leading founders of Pakistan. She was the younger sister of ...

. The building also housed the Stars Club - which was re-established in 2017 in the building.

Conservation

The building is protected by the Sindh Cultural Preservation Act, 1994. In 2012, renovation of the house was completed at the cost of , a rehabilitation and conservation project which started in 2010. The restoration was criticized on the grounds that the Sindh Department of Antiquities awarded works to an inexperienced contractor who "over-restored" the building, and chiseled away some original stone work in attempt to remove the

patina Patina ( or ) is a thin layer that variously forms on the surface of copper, brass, bronze and similar metals and metal alloys (tarnish produced by oxidation or other chemical processes) or certain stones and wooden furniture (sheen produced b ...

which had formed on the building.

References

{{reflist Tourist attractions in Karachi 1910 establishments in British India Buildings and structures completed in 1910 Heritage sites in Karachi