The Art Deco Buildings Of Marine Drive
By Mrunmayee Mainkar
FY BSc. Economics (2024-2028)
Estimated Reading Time ~ 4 minutes
“Buildings Are Deeply Emotive Structures Which Form Our Psyche” – David Adjaye
As a certified professional vada-pav and cutting-chai inhaling Mumbaikar, one of my favourite places to go in the city is Marine Drive. For those of you who do not know (if you don’t know Marine Drive, you are living under a rock), it is the OH-LA-LA area of Mumbai. The residents of that area are rich business people, corporate sharks, celebrities….you get the idea. However, if you have an eye for architecture, you’ll notice gorgeous, symmetric buildings lined up against the side of the road, overlooking the Arabian sea. The style of these buildings is called Art Deco, short for Arts Décoratifs or Decorative Arts.
Here is a little history lesson about how this style came into existence. Art Deco’s birth was in Paris, in the 1910s. From the 1920s to 1930s, it got popular in European countries and in the US of A. The style changed from extravagant to sleek and modern after the Second World War and was called “streamline moderne”. This style can be found in many objects ranging from vacuum cleaners to gigantic skyscrapers. Marine Drive’s Art Deco buildings were built in the 1930s – 40s, when this style was “trending”. The names these buildings have vary, some being British such as Oceana, Framroz Court, Sea Green, St. James’ Court to more Bharatiya names like Sonawala, Ganga Vihar, Meghdoot, Keval Mahal etc.
A Black-And-White of the buildings along the seaside
These buildings were mostly erected by the wealthy Parsis of that time. The residents are majorly Hindus from the now Pakistan, the Parsi community, the Bohra community etc., amongst many others. Some of the names associated with these beautiful gems of architecture are Gajanan Mhatre, Sohrabji Bhedwar and P C Dastur.
The Art Deco buildings of Marine Drive are built in a very distinct style. They are rounded at the corners, have round windows providing sufficient sunlight and are bright with either pops of colours here and there or fully painted in a bright colour. The rounded edges certainly give a more “rounded” look to them, making them appear softer, which is quite a contrast to the sharp-edged glass buildings found all over the city. There are projecting shelves called “eyebrows” which provide shade against sunlight and keep the building cool. Images of Indian gods and goddesses, farmers, Indian mythological figures, etc. adorn the buildings, giving them a special Indian touch. You’ll find porthole windows, towers, and deck-style railings inspired from the ships which visited the city during the British Raj. Bright colours hither and thither make them look quirky and make them something like eye-candy, giving our orbs a nice break from all the typical sombre and “serious” white, black and grey.
Marine Drive has always been a magical place for me. I would describe it as a home within a home, if that makes sense. Going there is like experiencing a totally different side of Mumbai, making me feel extremely euphoric and calm at the same time. But what further enhances this feeling of euphoria are these wonderful Art Deco buildings lined up against the shore (not literally). Since being identified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO – a huge shoutout to them – I have the sense of security that these wonders aren’t going anywhere. Maybe it is the feeling that however much the world changes, people change, they won’t change. Sure, they are prone to deterioration, but equally passionate people exist who view them like I do, and these buildings hold a special place in their hearts too, and who want to preserve these beauties with all their hearts. They have a special charm that sets them apart from other structures, which I find so heartwarming. They remind me of a lyric from a lovely Bollywood song called ‘Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan’ by Muhammad Rafi – “Zara hatke, zara bachke, ye hai Bombai meri jaan” (Be careful, be aware, this is Bombay, my love). These Art Deco buildings of Marine Drive have truly stolen a piece of my heart forever.
Very well written 👍