Vincent Jerome Esch, (20 July 1876 – 9 December 1950) was a British architect who worked in India. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Indo-Sarcenic architectural style, which developed during the British rule in the Indian subcontinent. Born in London, he moved to India in 1898, and was appointed assistant engineer on the Bengal Nagpur Railway before setting himself up as an architect in Calcutta. He was later appointed as the assistant to William Emerson, who had been chosen to design the monumental Victoria Memorial Hall in Calcutta. Esch was given the role of Superintending Architect and made major contributions to the design of the building. In 1914, he was invited to Hyderabad by the Nizam, to design some major public buildings. He designed the

Kacheguda railway station Kacheguda railway station (station code: KCG) is one of the three Central Stations in Hyderabad City of Telangana in India. It is currently operated by the South Central Railway zone of Indian Railways. The station was first built during the per ...

, the High Court, the

City College City college may refer to: In the United States * Community college, a type of educational institution sometimes called a ''junior college'' or a ''city college'' in the United States * City College of New York ** 137th Street – City College (IR ...

, and the

Osmania General Hospital Osmania General Hospital (OGH) is one of the oldest hospitals in India located at Afzal Gunj, Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. I ...

in Hyderabad. He was in Hyderabad until 1921, then returned to Calcutta. He later returned to England, and died in 1950.

Early life and background

He was born the son of C.A. Bernard Esch, a merchant banker of Blackheath, London and educated at Mount St Mary's College. He then trained as an architect in London.

Career

Early career

He moved out to India in 1898 and was appointed assistant engineer on the Bengal Nagpur Railway before setting himself up as a architect in Calcutta (now Kolkata). After designing the temporary exhibition building for the

Delhi Durbar The Delhi Durbar ( lit. "Court of Delhi") was an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organized by the British at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was ...

of 1903, he was employed as an assistant by Sir William Emerson, who had been chosen to design the monumental Victoria Memorial Hall in Calcutta. Esch was given the role of Superintending Architect and made major contributions to the design of the building. He had also won a competition to design the Bengal Club building at Chowringhee and the Bengal-Nagpur Railway head office building at Garden Reach.

Career in Hyderabad

In 1914 Esch was retained by Osman Ali Khan, the

Nizam of Hyderabad The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...

to help redevelop the city after serious flood damage. He designed numerous public buildings including the

Kachiguda railway station Kacheguda railway station (station code: KCG) is one of the three Central Stations in Hyderabad City of Telangana in India. It is currently operated by the South Central Railway zone of Indian Railways. The station was first built during the pe ...

(1914), the High Court (1916), the

(1917–20), and the large

(1918–21). The latter is now threatened with demolition.

Later career

Esch enjoyed 25 years of success as an architect in Calcutta, where he became a proponent of the Indo-Saracenic style, a fusion of classical and Islamic styles. In 1922 he was made

CVO CVO may refer to: Science and technology * Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington, US * Chief veterinary officer, the head of a veterinary authority * Circumventricular organs, positioned around the ventricular system of the brain * Co ...

Return to England and death

He later returned to England and died in Surrey in late 1950.

Personal life

He had married Olive Edward in 1923 and had one son and one daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Esch, Vincent 1876 births 1950 deaths Esch Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order British expatriates in India People educated at Mount St Mary's College