How Technology Is Quietly Reinventing the Safety of Heritage Buildings
By Ananya Nayak | Published November 14, 2025
India’s historic palaces and colonial-era warehouses are undergoing a subtle yet profound transformation. Thanks to the integration of advanced technology beneath their centuries-old surfaces, these heritage buildings are being safeguarded like never before. From discreet steel reinforcements hidden behind aged masonry to digital sensors embedded in frescoed ceilings, cutting-edge innovation is quietly reshaping the future of heritage conservation.
Invisible Engineering for Lasting Preservation
In cities across India, architects and engineers face the challenge of adapting historic structures for modern use without compromising their authenticity. This often means making buildings safe and comfortable for public access while preserving their original architectural character. Increasingly, this goal is achieved through engineering feats that are intentionally hidden from view, providing structural support and environmental control without altering the visible fabric of the buildings.
For example, the nineteenth-century Narain Niwas Palace in Jaipur, converted into a boutique hotel, revealed that its original lime plaster and load-bearing walls could not support modern HVAC systems. To resolve this without invasive changes, engineers employed carbon fiber reinforcement behind existing walls—technology inspired by aerospace design—allowing the palace to bear new mechanical stresses evenly while keeping its historic interiors intact.
This approach represents a new conservation paradigm centered on minimal visibility paired with maximum impact. Techniques like anchoring stainless-steel rods within brick cores or inserting composite mesh layers for seismic shock absorption ensure that fragile structures meet contemporary safety standards while respecting their original materials and craftsmanship.
Balancing Heritage and Seismic Safety
Many of India’s heritage sites, especially Rajasthan’s palaces, were constructed without consideration for earthquake resistance. Their traditional materials—stone vaults and lime mortar—are durable but respond unpredictably to lateral seismic forces. As cities such as Jaipur and Jodhpur lie within moderate seismic zones, enhancing earthquake resilience has become a conservation priority.
At the Rajmahal Palace Hotel, engineers integrated a hybrid seismic isolation system beneath the existing floor slabs. This innovative technology allows the building to move independently from its foundation during tremors, reducing damage. Utilizing advanced digital finite-element simulations, engineers ensured that vibrations from nearby traffic would not transmit through to the sensitive interiors. Remarkably, this system remains completely invisible to visitors, preserving the palace’s historic ambiance.
This balance between safeguarding structural integrity and maintaining visual authenticity defines a modern ethical framework in heritage conservation—one that treats buildings not as frozen relics, but as evolving entities capable of adapting safely to twenty-first-century challenges.
From Warehouses to Cultural Hubs
In Mumbai’s Ballard Estate, a cluster of early twentieth-century maritime warehouses has been repurposed into IF.BE, a vibrant cultural and co-working space designed by Malik Architecture. Here, technology elevates the concept of adaptive reuse by extending the functional lifespan of industrial heritage.
Using laser scanning and LiDAR mapping, engineers created a millimeter-accurate digital twin of the site, capturing every crack, column, and rusted beam. This precise digital model enabled detailed simulations of new load requirements for added mezzanine floors. Consequently, lightweight steel grids were carefully introduced within the original structure without excessive reinforcement, preserving the character and patina of age that define the complex.
Such synergy of data-driven engineering and artisanal craft illustrates the powerful role technology now plays in understanding and sustaining heritage buildings.
Digital Twins and Preventive Conservation
India’s heritage sector is embracing digital tools to revolutionize conservation. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) uses 3D scanning and photogrammetry to produce digital twins of landmarks like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. These virtual replicas allow for remote, continuous monitoring of structural health, enabling conservationists to track minute deformations or moisture build-up before damage occurs.
In earthquake-prone areas, embedded sensors monitor temperature, humidity, and strain in real-time. This data-driven approach shifts conservation towards preventive stewardship rather than reactive restoration, with technology acting as an invisible guardian that offers diagnostics without disrupting the building’s historic integrity.
Retrofitting for Contemporary Use
As adaptive reuse becomes essential to urban sustainability, designers must carefully negotiate between modern comfort, building codes, and preservation. For instance, while restoring a 1920s townhouse into The Calcutta Bungalow, Abin Design Studio faced challenges introducing modern plumbing, air-conditioning, and fire safety systems without damaging original timber flooring. Their solution was a raised micro-flooring system, a hidden cavity beneath new tiles that conceals utilities while allowing the historic structure to breathe.
Similar strategies are emerging globally: in Portugal, reversible steel mezzanines support new uses within former textile warehouses, while in Japan, seismic damping devices are hidden beneath tatami mats in Edo-period houses. Collectively, these innovations demonstrate a worldwide shift from freezing heritage in time to intelligently fine-tuning it for longevity.
Ethics of Invisible Intervention
The increasing invisibility of technology in heritage raises important ethical questions. To what extent should original craftsmanship be concealed for the sake of safety and performance? At Amer Fort in Rajasthan, structural reinforcements are deliberately left partially visible—exposed steel pins and joints underscore the coexistence of historic fabric and modern intervention. This approach reflects a growing belief that transparency in preservation methods can itself contribute to authenticity.
Preserving heritage today requires more than aesthetic restraint; it calls for ethical clarity. The challenge lies not in masking new technology but in harmonizing it with the old, allowing historic buildings to tell stories of both their origins and their ongoing evolution.
Towards a New Craft of Conservation
From India’s forts and palaces to churches and civic halls, a quiet transformation is underway. Digital documentation, seismic retrofitting, climate-responsive engineering, and continuous monitoring are redefining how heritage buildings endure the pressures of modern life. While the tools may be new, the fundamental intent remains unchanged: to sustain the spirit of place for generations to come.
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Photo by Sanhitasinha. License Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International.
City Palace Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Photo by Yashaswi Garg. License Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International.
For more information and projects, visit ArchDaily’s article.
