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BOMBAY DECO

Sharada Dwivedi and Rahul Mehrotra

Art Deco arrived in India, literally on the shores of Bombay, spurred by the frantic building activity prevalent in the island city in the 1930s. Unabashedly bold with an ever-glamorous decorative style, Bombay saw the emergence of ‘Deco Districts’ in both waterfront locations as well as within dense urban situations. Over time, up to the early 1950s, many of the city’s structures were constructed in a distinctive ‘Indo Deco’ style, a new expression that incorporated unique localised motifs in its decorative components. They were dramatic harbingers of India’s future as a democracy, echoing the people’s quest for independence through a new modern style. Bombay came to be known not only for its varied architectural styles, but also as a city that has historically always embraced the future.

In 2018, UNESCO designated the combined areas of Fort and Marine Drive as heritage precincts under the title ‘Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai’. The recognition ushered this collection of buildings into the international limelight, bringing attention to its unique character as well as to a setting that is unparalleled anywhere in the world.

Bombay Deco is a celebration of one of the largest collections of Art Deco structures, and the first detailed review of this style that transformed the image of Bombay from a Victorian town to that of a cosmopolitan metropolis.