Chamber wants Aspinwall House to be preserved as heritage building

ICCI Kochi urges government to preserve historic Aspinwall House for Kochi Biennale, a global art event and tourist draw.

The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Kochi, one of the oldest organisations of its nature in the country, has urged the government to preserve the historic Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi and take steps that would allow the globally known heritage building to continue hosting the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

“The Indian Chamber’s desire is that the State government must intervene to preserve the Aspinwall building as a heritage of Kochi and continue the Kochi Biennale shows at the venue,” said Job V. Jacob, president of the ICCI here. It was important that the great cultural event Biennale continued in Fort Kochi, he added.

The Kochi Biennale has given Fort Kochi and the city of Kochi a prominent space in the global map of art events and is a major draw for tourists to the destination, he said. The revival in tourism has also given a boost to employment, he added..

“The ICCI has also been part of Kochi for about 125 years now and has acted as a beacon for artists and cultural activists. Reports that the 150-year-old Aspinwall building and premises will be taken over by Coast Guard triggered a wave of anxiety among people. The building and its premises have turned out to be a permanent venue for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, one of the largest art events in the country.”

“The building is a monument to the long and chequered history of Kochi as a business hub. Preserving the building is crucial in honouring our past and safeguarding it for future generations,” said Arun Mookken, former president of the ICCI.

The building and premises are now owned by a private property developer. There had been reports indicating a move in the past by the State government to buy off the property to preserve it as a monument.