Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai

Last updated

Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Mumbai 03-2016 41 Bombay High Court.jpg
Sunder Mahal, Soona Mahal, Sea Green Hotel from L-R at Marine Drive, Mumbai.jpg
Mumbai 03-2016 35 Prince of Wales Museum.jpg
Top to bottom: Bombay High Court; Art Deco buildings along Marine Drive; and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
Location Mumbai, India
Criteria Cultural: (ii), (iv)
Reference 1480
Inscription2018 (42nd Session)
Area66.34 ha
Buffer zone378.78 ha
Coordinates 18°55′46″N72°49′48″E / 18.92944°N 72.83000°E / 18.92944; 72.83000
India relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai in India

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. [1] This ensemble was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. [2] [3]

Contents

These buildings are set around the Oval Maidan, a large recreational ground that was once known as the Esplanade. [2] The east of the Oval is flanked by the Victorian Gothic public buildings and the western side is flanked by the Art Deco buildings of Back bay Reclamation and Marine Drive. [2] This nomination aims to safeguard a total of 94 buildings. [4] [5]

Location and extent of inscribed World Heritage Site:
.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}
Inscribed property
Buffer zone Mumbai Weltkulturerbe.svg
Location and extent of inscribed World Heritage Site:
Inscribed property 
Buffer zone 

The 19th century Victorian Gothic buildings that lie to the east of the Oval are mainly the Bombay High Court, The University of Mumbai (Fort Campus) and The City Civil and Sessions Court (Housed in the Old Secretariat Building). [6] [2] This stretch also houses one of the landmarks of Mumbai, the Rajabai Clock Tower. The 20th century Art Deco buildings flank the western stretch of the Oval and consist mainly of privately owned residential buildings and the Eros Cinema among others. [2]

This ensemble of Victorian Gothic and Art Deco buildings was added to the list of World Heritage Sites on 30 June 2018 during 42nd session of World Heritage Committee at Manama, Bahrain. [7]

List of heritage structures or sites

Victorian

Indian Neo-Gothic (Hindu Gothic) architecture

Neoclassical

Indo-Saracenic

Art Deco

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus</span> Historic terminal train station in Mumbai, India

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus since 2017, formerly Victoria Terminus (VT), Bombay station code: CSMT (mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Mumbai</span> Precinct of Mumbai in Maharashtra, India

South Mumbai, colloquially SoBo from South Bombay in Indian English, administratively the Mumbai City District, is the city centre and the southernmost precinct of Greater Bombay. It extends from Colaba to Mahim and Sion neighbourhoods, and comprises the city's main business localities, making it the wealthiest urban precinct in India. Property prices in South Mumbai are by far the highest in India and among the highest in the world. In terms of Vidhansabha it is further divided in two parts - South and South Central. South has areas like Fort Colaba Girgaon to Worli Dadar and Prabhadevi, whereas South Central has Chembur, Wadala, Sion and Mahim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kala Ghoda</span> Arts District in Mumbai, India

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumbai culture</span>

A resident of Mumbai is called a Mumbaikar. People prefer to stay close to a railway station for easy access to the metropolis. Many city-dwellers lead a fast-paced life with very little time for other activities owing to a significant amount of time spent on daily commuting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watson's Hotel</span> Important

Watson's Hotel, now known as the Esplanade Mansion, located in the Kala Ghoda area of Mumbai (Bombay), is India's oldest surviving cast iron building. It is probably the oldest surviving multi-level fully cast-iron framed building in the world, being three years earlier than the Menier Chocolate Factory in Noisiel, France, which are both amongst the few ever built. Named after its original owner, John Watson, the cast and wrought iron structure of the building was prefabricated in England, and it was constructed between 1867 and 1869.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajabai Clock Tower</span> Clock tower in Mumbai, India

The Rajabai Tower is a clock tower in Mumbai India. It is in the confines of the Fort campus of the University of Mumbai. It stands at a height of 85 m. The tower is part of The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai, which was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Chennai</span> Architectural style

Chennai architecture is a confluence of many architectural styles. From ancient Tamil temples built by the Pallavas, to the Indo-Saracenic style of the colonial era, to 20th-century steel and chrome of skyscrapers. Chennai has a colonial core in the port area, surrounded by progressively newer areas as one travels away from the port, punctuated with old temples, churches and mosques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oval Maidan</span> Recreational activity ground in Mumbai

Oval Maidan is a large Grade I recreational ground situated in South Mumbai, India. It is so named because of its oval shape and is situated just south of Churchgate. It is a popular recreation ground, with the most popular sports played there being cricket and football. The ground measures 22 acres (8.9 ha) in area. Political rallies and religious functions are banned in the maidan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eros Cinema</span> Cinema in Mumbai, India

The Eros Cinema is an Art Deco style cinema theatre located in Cambata Building at Churchgate, Mumbai, India. It has a seating capacity of 1,204 people per show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dadabhai Naoroji Road</span> Road in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Dadabhai Naoroji Road (D.N.Road), a North–South commercial artery road, in the Fort business district in South Mumbai of Maharashtra, India, is the nerve centre of the city, starting from the Mahatma Phule Market ,linking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, leads to the Hutatma Chowk at the southern end of the road. This entire stretch of the road is studded with Neo–Classical and Gothic Revival buildings and parks built in the 19th century, intermingled with modern office buildings and commercial establishments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New India Assurance Building</span> Office in Mumbai, India

The New India Assurance Building is an Art Deco office building made of reinforced concrete and designed by Master, Sathe and Bhuta, with artistic designer N. G. Pansare. It was constructed in 1937 in Mumbai, India for New India Assurance Co. Ltd., an Indian insurance company which was founded by Sir Dorabji Tata in 1919.

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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Maharashtra</span> Architectural style of the state of Maharashtra and Maharashtrian people

Maharashtra state in India is known for its Famous caves and cliffs. It is said that the varieties found in Maharashtra are wider than the caves and rock-cut architecture found in the rock cut areas of Egypt, Assyria, Persia and Greece. The Buddhist monks first started these caves in the 2nd century BC, in search of serene and peaceful environment for meditation, and they found these caves on the hillsides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage structures in Mumbai</span>

Many heritage structures are found in Mumbai, India.

Art Deco Mumbai (ADMT) is a public charitable trust that is actively involved in spreading awareness about Mumbai's Art Deco heritage since May 2016. It is a digital initiative that uses social media and a website to showcase the built heritage. The website is the only repository of information on Art Deco in Mumbai in the public domain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Deco in Mumbai</span> Indian architecture style

The Art Deco in Mumbai, India style is a notable feature of the architecture of the city. It was used primarily for office buildings, residences and movie theaters, during a period when India was part of the British Empire. On 30 June 2018, an ensemble of such buildings were officially recognized as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO World Heritage committee held in Bahrain as the Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai.

Abha Narain Lambah is an Indian conservation architect whose eponymous architectural practice has restored several of India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Ajanta Caves, Golconda Fort and Mahabodhi Temple, and Mumbai's Victorian buildings like the Crawford Market, Royal Opera House, Asiatic Society of Mumbai Town Hall and Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convocation Hall, University of Mumbai</span> Convocation hall in Mumbai, India

The Convocation Hall or Cowasji Jehangir Convocation Hall at the University of Mumbai is part of the Victorian buildings complex around the Oval Maidan in Mumbai that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built between 1869 and 1874, and designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who incidentally never visited Bombay and worked from London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Library, Mumbai</span>

The University Library of the University of Mumbai is part of the Victorian buildings complex around the Oval Maidan in Mumbai that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built between 1869 and 1878 along with the Rajabai Clock Tower, and designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who incidentally never visited Bombay and worked from London.

References

  1. "Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  3. Mumbai's Victorian Gothic Art Deco Ensembles Is A World Heritage Site artdecomumbai.com. Retrieved 4 September 2021
  4. "List of Buildings, Architectural Styles & Maps of the UNESCO Precinct – Art Deco". www.artdecomumbai.com. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  5. "Research | Art Deco". www.artdecomumbai.com. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  6. "History - City Civil and Sessions Court, Mumbai". District Courts of India. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  7. "Four sites added to UNESCO's World Heritage List". UNESCO. 30 June 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  1. Art Deco Buildings in Bombay (Flickr album)