Claude Batley

Who was Claude Batley?

Claude Batley was an English architect who left for India in 1913 and started a successful practice there in 1917 with Gregson and King, a firm of architects which is still extant under the name of Gregson, Batley and King.

Among his works are the Bombay Gymkhana; Wankaner Palace now Lincoln House, the American Consulate, Breach Candy; Bombay Central Station; South Court or popularly now known as Jinnah House,; Round Building, Cusrow Baug in Colaba Causeway and its Agiary, known as The Seth Nusserwanji Hirji Karani Agiary, Bombay Club later Hotel Nataraj and now Inter-Continental Mumbai, Lalbhai House and Breach Candy Hospital.

He became a visiting professor in the J. J. School of Art in the year 1914, and its principal in the year 1923. He held this post for a period of 20 years, during which he took his students on trips all over the country making measure drawings of buildings of architectural significance. He spent a lot of time in research and documented Jaipur's architecture. He was the president of the "Bombay Architectural Association" from 1925 to 1926.