Some were British, while a majority were Indian architects. What stood out was the single-minded focus to ensure resident-friendly, progressive sites and buildings that organically assimilated into the idea of a new Bombay. That was the success of our city’s Art Deco movement

A silver model of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Girgaon is among the objects on display at the Durbar Hall, Asiatic Society of Mumbai. Pic/Fiona Fernandez

These buildings were based on the city’s visual guidelines. There was constant interaction between their architects and civic authorities, and all plans were approved by a chief architect…,” said Professor Mustansir Dalvi, professor of Architecture, and trustee, Art Deco Mumbai, in his vote of thanks at the inauguration of Architects and Firms That Built Modern Bombay, an exhibition that honoured these great architects and their firms who built the city through the 1930s-50s with the intent to blend progress with the modern way of life. It immediately drew smiles from some audience members, including this columnist, who were seated inside the elegant Durbar Hall at the Asiatic Society of Mumbai. Was it the Gokhale Bridge measurement mess-up? Or, The Coastal Road Project’s environmental fall-out? It was tough to guess. Irrespective of the trigger, this valuable piece of information shared from those days made for a bittersweet realisation.........

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