History of GCU Building
Government College Lahore or simply GCU is synonymous with the city of Lahore. Among the most famous colleges in Lahore, it is among the first educational institutions to be established in Punjab. Generations of students have passed through its gates and achieved prominent positions in all walks of life in Pakistan.
Although the establishment of a central college in Lahore was approved in 1856 with the condition that the teachers should be graduates of Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin or Durham, it was not until January 1, 1864 that the college opened its doors in the Haveli of Dhyan Singh/Khushal Singh, in the Walled City of Lahore.
In April 1871, the college moved to a large house near Anarkali. In 1873, it was relocated to another house called Rahim Khan Kutty. In 1876, the college moved to its present building. Construction began around mid-1872 and was completed in 1877. The site is in the heart of the city, surrounded by the main business and administrative areas, schools, colleges and the old campus of the University of the Punjab. The Government College University (GCU) has now been elevated to university status, and is situated at the junction of the Mall and the Lower Mall and occupies a focal point.
The first principal was the celebrated Dr. G. W. Lightner, whose name is closely associated with the college. In April 1871, the college moved to a large house near Anarkali. In 1873, it was relocated to another house called Koti Rahim Khan.
When it was decided to move to a more suitable building, a site was chosen on a hill north of the Soldier’s Garden (Gol Bagh), and a “picturesque building” was built, with a large central clock tower. Not surprisingly, the Gothic style was the chosen style for the building. Among the first major buildings in Lahore, the missionary zeal expressed by the Lawrence brothers (Henry and John Lawrence) undoubtedly had an influence on the architectural expression of the college.
The building was designed by the supervising engineer W. Purdon, and built under the supervision of the executive engineer Kanhaiya Lal. It was completed in 1877 at a cost of Rs 320,000. Two years after its completion, the Viceroy Lord Lytton presided over a meeting of the “College of the University of the Punjab” (1879) held in its own enormously high meeting hall – “the great hall of Lahore College, which was tastefully decorated and arranged for the occasion”. Lytton’s papers record that the event was attended by “a large number of ladies and gentlemen, Europeans and natives”.
From the main road, the main college building can be seen above the landscaped terraces through the foliage of the trees, providing a postcard-perfect view. Lahori brickwork is combined with the sparing use of black Chiniot stone in the columns of the first floor as well as in the borders lining the openings. The pointed arches on the facade feature simple mouldings, and the building is crowned by a steeply pitched roof. According to Kanhaiya Lal, the slate for the roof was sourced from Mount Dalhousie hundreds of miles away.
Courtesy of GCU LAHORE.