Metropolitan Building, Neo-baroque commercial building in Esplanade, Kolkata, India

The Metropolitan Building is a large white neo-baroque commercial building on Chowringhee Road near Esplanade, built in 1905. Its curved corner bay rises into a clock tower with a domed roof and a small golden finial. The ground floor has rustication, the first floor a semicircular arched arcade, and the facade rows of arched windows, balconies, columns and pedimented bays with Corinthian capitals.

The building was constructed in 1905 as the Whiteaway Laidlaw department store, a major retail hub at Esplanade. Following India's independence, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company took over the property and gave it the name it bears today.

The structure displays architectural grandeur typical of the British colonial period, with ornate Corinthian capitals, projecting bays, and detailed facade work. These elements continue to shape the character of the area and reflect how European commercial establishments once dominated local business.

The structure sits near Esplanade Metro Station and is easily accessible on foot from the city center. Public areas are open during business hours, though portions of the building serve private tenants.

A 1991 fire on the upper floors destroyed many original negatives belonging to Bourne & Shepherd, the photography studio founded in the late 19th century and among the oldest still operating in the world. The studio's loss is the building's most overlooked episode.