3 Mumbai art deco classics

Mumbai has one of the largest collections of art deco buildings in the world. So many, that sometimes we take them for granted. Three structures in particular are worthy of greater appreciation.

1. New India Assurance Building

The New India Assurance Building on Fort’s Mahatma Gandhi Road has the kind of facade that makes you break your stride, stop and stare. It is possibly the best example of the peculiarly Indianized form of art deco unique to Mumbai.

“What’s interesting is that it has a fusion of Indian and European carvings and sculptures,” says Sharada Dwivedi, co-author of the book “Bombay Deco.”

“There are bas-reliefs showing scenes of Indian peasantry and farmers, but the two gigantic statues appear Egyptian or Middle Eastern, not Indian," she adds.

The building, which is still used for commercial purposes, has grade two heritage listing. Dwivedi says it is in urgent need of restoration.

“Years ago it was coated in some kind of shellac-based protective coating which actually damaged the stone,” she says. “They also really need to remove all the plants sprouting out from between the cracks, and look at the strange lighting and wiring they have in place.”

M.G. Road, Fort, tel. +91 (0) 22 2267 0104

2. Liberty Cinema

At the Liberty Cinema in Marine Lines, it’s a different story.

Thanks to owner Nazir Hoosein’s determined efforts, the cinema has retained most of its original features, such as the entrance facade, a blend of marble and teak flanked by booking offices featuring decorative grills.

The real highlight is the 2,000-seat auditorium, with its illuminated stepped bands of cove lighting and three large recessed circles in the center of the ceiling.

Upstairs is a 42-seat theatre that is now used for film previews and private screenings. Here, seating is in the form of leather armchairs, each with a private writing desk. Very cozy and great for reviewers.

Built in 1947, the Liberty takes its name from India's independence, gained that same year. But these days the cinema's existence is under threat.

Indian cinema-goers flock to modern multiplexes, which also benefit from government tax incentives. As a result, independent cinemas such as the Liberty are fast becoming a thing of the past. Try to see it before it's gone.

Liberty Building, Marine Lines. tel. +91 (0) 22 2203 1196‎

3. Horniman Circle

In Fort, Horniman Circle, with its imposing, curved Georgian buildings, wrought iron railings and the adjacent clean and unusually wide street, is a remarkably serene and well-planned corner of an otherwise hectic city.

Horniman Circle was in fact the very first attempt at urban planning in Mumbai. In the mid-1800s, when the actual fort at the Fort area was demolished and the city came under the British crown, authorities decided they wanted a nice bit of garden.

“There are six uniform Italianate buildings overlooking a small central garden,” says conservation architect Vikas Dilawari, who also devotes energies to the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee.

“The railings were imported from England. Terra cotta -- which hadn’t really been used in India much before -- was used for keystones and balustrades,” he says.

The structure was inspired by London’s Park Crescent and Bath’s Royal Crescent.

The buildings were eventually sold by the government. Today they house banks and offices.

For more on Mumbai's art deco features, check out Bombay Art Deco Architecture, by Navin Raman, and "Bombay Deco" by historian Sharada Dwivedi and architect Rahul Mehrotra (interview at urbanarchitecture.in).