Claude Batley

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Claude Batley (1879 in Ipswich, England - March 20, 1956, Bombay, India) 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 (1917), Wakaner House (1933) now the American Consulate, Bombay Central Station (1930), Jinnah House (1935), Round Building (1937), Cusrow Baug (1937-59) and its Agiary (1938), Bombay Club (1939) now the Nataraj Hotel, Lalbhai House (1942) and Breach Candy Hospital (1950).

He became a visiting professor in the J. J. School of Arts 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" (now merged into The Indian Institute of Architects) from 1925 to 1926.

He died in the mid 50's in one of the buildings he had designed--the Bombay Club.