Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai
Mumbai. A city once defended by many forts. Including Fort George that gave Fort, the locality, its name. Close by, during the late-19th and early 20th centuries, two waves of urbanisation swept through this megapolis, giving its heritage district a distinctive character. On two sides of Oval Maidan (Ground), two distinct styles of architecture created a unique amalgam. The Victorian Neo-gothic style and the adapted Art déco idiom acted as a foil to each other, not letting any style overpower the other.
UNESCO has inscribed the district on its World Heritage Sites list in 2018. The ensemble of 94 buildings includes the Mumbai High Court, Rajabai Clock Tower, and the Bombay University on one side of Oval, and some landmark cinema halls, and residential buildings on the other.
One City. Two Personalities.
This juxtaposition of two styles may give Mumbai a new flavour, but walking around each side of the district offers an uncommon experience. The Victorian Gothic bloc transports you to Victorian London, and the Art déco wing may remind you of the White City of Tel Aviv, which was also developed under the British mandate of Palestine between 1930 and 1950.
David Sassoon library and other assorted Victorian Gothic buildings 
Rajabai Clock Tower
The Victorian Gothic ensemble comprises grand public buildings. These show respect for the local elements by blending the Gothic revival elements with Indian embellishments. They also incorporate subtle nuances like balconies, giving due consideration to the local climate. This has led to the coinage of a new style – the Indo-Gothic style.
The Art déco assemblage is a residential sector. Like the Indo-Gothic style, these residential buildings, too, have incorporated balconies, prompting a new name for this architectural style – Indo Deco. This part of the district extends from the Oval Maidan to the sea-facing Marine Drive. The influence of this style covers many structures across the Indian subcontinent.
Art Deco balconies in the residential buildings 
Art Deco residential buildings on Marine Drive
Effect of the Waves of Urbanisation
The planned development of this section of Mumbai led the city to become a mercantile centre of global importance. Mumbai maintains that stature even today. This planned larva has emerged out of its cocoon over the decades and has blossomed into a handsome butterfly the world cannot ignore.
Though the ensemble may comprise just 94 buildings, its periphery sports structures that were influenced by its looks. Prominent amongst them are the BMC Building, the Asiatic Society, Marshall Building, the commercial district around the Horniman Circle, and UNESCO-inscribed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (earlier name – Victoria Terminus, or VT).
The splendid BMC Building lies on the periphery of the ensemble 
Separately inscribed by UNESCO, the stunning facade of CSMT (VT Station)
This district reinforces the benefits of a planned urban development seen over the millennia – from prehistoric to medieval era, from the Renaissance period to the modern days. The nations that may leave their imprint a few centuries from now, like the civilisations of yore, understand it. That is their homage to this unusual fusion!
