The Writers' Building (Bengali: মহাকরণ Mahakaran), often shortened to just Writers', is the secretariat building of the State Government of West Bengal in India. Today it houses the office of the Chief Minister of West Bengal. It is located in West Bengal's capital city of Kolkata.
The Writers' Building originally served as the office for writers of the British East India Company, hence the name. Designed by Thomas Lyon in 1777, the Writers' Building has gone through several extensions over the years.
In 1821 A 128 ft-long verandah with Ionic style columns, each 32 ft high, were added on the first and second floors. From 1889 - 1906 two new blocks were added, approached by iron staircases that are still in use. Writers’ acquired its Greco-Roman look, complete with the portico in the central bay and the red surface of exposed brick. The parapet was put in place and the statues sculpted by William Fredric Woodington in 1883, that line the terrace, were installed.
The giant pediment at the centre is crowned with the statue of Minerva. The terrace also contains several other statues and notable among them are four clusters of statues, christened 'Justice', 'Commerce', 'Science' and 'Agriculture', with the Greek Gods and Goddesses of these four streams (Zeus, Hermes, Athena and Demeter respectively) flanked by a European and an Indian practitioner of these vocations, adorn the building.
The 150 meter long Writers' Building covers the entire northern stretch of the a water body locally called Lal Dighi in B.B.D. Bagh area. Various departments of the West Bengal government are housed in this building. It is an edifice of great political significance and memories of the Indian Independence Movement. Writer's building is now being used as Chief Minister's Office and secretariat.
Read more about Writers' Building: Writers' Building Timeline, Assassination of Colonel N.S. Simpson, Picture Gallery
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