David Sassoon Library | |
---|---|
Type | Library |
Location | Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort, Mumbai, India |
Coordinates | 18°55′40″N72°49′52″E / 18.92772°N 72.83116°E |
Built | 1870 |
Restored | 2023 |
Restored by | Abha Narain Lambah Associates with JSW Foundation |
Architect | J. Campbell and G. E. Gosling |
Architectural style(s) | Gothic Revival, Venetian Gothic |
Criteria | Cultural: (ii) (iv) |
Designated | 2018 (43rd session) |
Part of | Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai |
Reference no. | 1480 |
The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room is a famous library and heritage structure in Mumbai, India. The idea for a library to be situated in the center of the city came from Albert Sassoon, son of the famous Baghdadi Jewish philanthropist, David Sassoon. [1]
In 1847, European employees working in the Government Mint and the Dockyard in Mumbai started the Mechanics' Institution to provide technical education to adults and to hold lectures. Initially, they operated from leased premises until they relocated to their own facility, which was made possible by the support of David Sassoon. Later, the establishment was named the David Sassoon Library and Reading Room. [2]
The structure, built in the architectural style of Victorian Neogothic during the period from 1867 to 1870, maintains its original colonial allure. It features pointed arches, columns adorned with animal motifs, and intricately designed trusses and ceilings made of Burma teak wood. Now a Grade I heritage structure, the library's building is among the earliest constructions in the vicinity following the removal of the fort walls in the 1860s. [3]
The building was designed by architects J. Campbell and G. E. Gosling, for Scott McClelland and Company, at a cost of Rs. 125,000. David Sassoon donated Rs. 60,000, while the rest of the cost was borne by the Government of Bombay Presidency. [4] The library is located on Rampart Row, looking across Kala Ghoda. The building, completed in 1870, is built using yellow Malad stone, much like the abutting Elphinstone College, Army and Navy Buildings, and Watson's Hotel. Above the entrance portico is a white stone bust of David Sassoon. This marble bust was Thomas Woolner's working model for the statue of Sassoon standing at the front of the stairs of the David Sassoon Library. This standing marble statue, completed in 1865, was commissioned by Sir Bartle Frere, Governor of Bombay and personal friend of the sculptor, Woolner. Subscriptions came from the Jewish community, a myriad of traders, and friends in England. [5]
In 2023, the JSW Foundation and the ICICI Foundation worked together on the restoration of this library. Sangita Jindal, the Chairperson of the JSW Foundation, partnered with Abha Narain Lambah, a conservation architect in India, to oversee the execution of the restoration project. [6] In order to raise funds, they collaborated with various organisations, including Hermès India, the Kala Ghoda Association, the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai, the MK Tata Trusts, and several others. This collaboration transformed the project into a multiparty initiative, involving multiple stakeholders working together to contribute financially. [7]
Given the architectural importance of the building, Lambah's team extensively relied on archival research and documentation. Every new element introduced, such as the metal chandeliers, was carefully modeled after its 19th-century counterpart to seamlessly integrate with the building's style. Significantly, her team reinstated the original sloping roof, replacing a reinforced concrete slab that had been added insensitively after the 1960s. This flat slab had caused significant damage due to leakage, affecting both the structure itself and the books housed within it. [7]
Jijamata Udyaan, also known as the Byculla Zoo and formerly Victoria Gardens, is a zoo and garden covering 50 acres located at Byculla, in the heart of Mumbai, India. It is the oldest public garden in Mumbai. After Indian independence, it was named after Jijamata, the mother of Shivaji, the first Maratha emperor.
Kala Ghoda is a crescent-shaped art district/neighborhood in Mumbai, India. It hosts several of the city's heritage buildings including museums, art galleries and educational institutions like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, the Jehangir Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Modern Art, and The Arts Trust - Institute of Contemporary Indian Art.
The Horniman Circle Gardens is a large park in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, which encompasses an area of 1.01 hectares. It is situated in the Fort district of Mumbai, and is surrounded by office complexes housing the country's premier banks. Designed to be a large open space with grand buildings in the middle of the walled city, the area had been known as Bombay Green in the 18th century, later Elphinstone Circle. Following India's independence in 1947, the area was renamed in honour of Benjamin Horniman, editor of The Bombay Chronicle newspaper, who supported Indian independence.
Elphinstone College is one of the constituent colleges of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, a state cluster university. Established in 1856, it is one of the oldest colleges in Mumbai. It played a major role in shaping and developing the educational landscape of the city. It also played a pivotal role in the inception of the University of Mumbai.
David Sassoon was the treasurer of Baghdad between 1817 and 1829. He became the leader of the Jewish community in Mumbai after Baghdadi Jews emigrated there.
Sir Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, 1st Baronet, was a Baghdad-born businessman and philanthropist.
The Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai, located in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India is a Grade IIA heritage building opposite to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus at the junction of Dadabhai Naoroji Road and Mahapalika Marg. It is also known as the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation Building, or BMC building for short.
Colaba Causeway, officially known as Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, is a commercial street, and a major causeway or land link between Colaba and the Old Woman's Island in the city of Mumbai, India.
The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is annual festival, nine days long, commencing always on the first Saturday of February and closing is always on the second Sunday in February, in the Kala Ghoda area of South Mumbai, India.
The Knesset Eliyahoo, also Knesset Eliyahu, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue located in downtown Mumbai, India. It is the city's second oldest Sephardic synagogue. It was established in 1884 by Jacob Elias Sassoon, son of Eliyahoo David Sassoon and grandson of David Sassoon; the latter had immigrated from Baghdad to India in 1832 due to persecution and had settled in Mumbai, then known as Bombay. It is maintained by the Jacob Sassoon Trust. The building's significance is attributed to its Jewish traditions as well as Indian and English colonial influences.
Royal Opera House, more commonly known simply as Opera House in Mumbai, is India's only surviving opera house.
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum is the oldest museum in Mumbai. Situated in the vicinity of Byculla Zoo, Byculla East, it was originally established in 1855 as a treasure house of the decorative and industrial arts, and was later renamed in honour of Bhau Daji Lad.
The architecture of Mumbai blends Gothic, Victorian, Art Deco, Indo-Saracenic & Contemporary architectural styles. Many buildings, structures and historical monuments remain from the colonial era. Mumbai, after Miami, has the second largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world.
JSW Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, based in Mumbai. It is led by Sajjan Jindal and founded by Om Prakash Jindal. The group's diverse businesses include steel, energy, infrastructure, cement, automotive and paints, across India, the United States, South America, and Africa.
Rahul Mehrotra is Founder Principal of architecture firm RMA Architects of Mumbai + Boston, and is Professor of Urban Design and Planning and Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Bombay is a collection of 19th-century Victorian Revival public and 20th-century Mumbai Art Deco private buildings in the Fort precinct of Mumbai. This ensemble was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.
Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower is a heritage structure in Fort, Mumbai, India, that was erected in 1882 using public funds as a token of appreciation for Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadi, a Parsi philanthropist who had contributed to the cause of education in the city. He was a member of the Bombay Native Education Society and on the board of Elphinstone Institution. He died on 3 July 1862.
Mulji Jetha Fountain is a listed heritage structure in Fort, Mumbai that was erected in 1894, following a commission by Ruttonsee Mulji, a cotton merchant who sought to commemorate the death of his only son, Dharamsi Mulji, who died aged 15 in 1889. The statue of a boy on top holding a book represents the son who loved reading. The drinking fountain was designed by architect Frederick William Stevens, and he was assisted by John Griffiths, the then principal of Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art.
Vikas Dilawari is an Indian conservation architect who has restored at-risk monuments and heritage buildings in Mumbai, including the Victoria Terminus, Rajabai Clock Tower, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Wellington Fountain and Christ Church, Byculla. 16 restoration projects carried out by his team have been recognised by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, including the 2019 work on the Flora Fountain, which was designed by architect Richard Norman Shaw and completed in 1864.
Sameer Kulavoor is an Indian contemporary artist and founder of one of the earliest specialised design studios in India, Bombay Duck Designs.