Architecture; Heritage; Identity; Lahore; Railway Station;

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85098002196&doi=10.1007%2f978-3-030-14869-0_13&partnerID=40&md5=1eae7c788d441bacc367afd59be05a91

The best expression of the identity of city or an area is through its heritage, and this paper explores it in the context of Lahore. Lahore was an important historical city even long before the Mughals. The subsequent rulers and their respective heritage give the Lahore an imminent status in terms of architecturally rich city. British were the last ruler of Lahore from 1849 to 1947. The city kept on receiving the special attention even during the British Raj, for being the provincial capital. It soon became the hub of the huge railway network and the keystone for growing economy of a large area. The focus here is to study: why the heritage and identity are significant to the city; how Mughals and British gave the identity to the city through architecture interpreting their vision and expressing their power; and how railway station transformed the already existing identity of Lahore. In addition, why it is still important to retain the identity alive not only as tangible assets but also building intangible heritage. To explore answers to these questions, the study is organized around multiple data sources including archival research, primary and secondary sources. The facts collected were analyzed to confirm that indeed it is true that identities of the cities were transformed in the past and it is possible for the city to hold multiple identities at a time. Among different heritage buildings, railway heritage is neglected especially in Pakistan. It is very essential to bring awareness about revolutionary changes brought by the railways and to protect the identity of the city.