Mumbai's Architectural Heritage - Striving to survive
...sed balconies. Paid for partly by donations from the wealthy Parsi citizens of Bombay, the building was later crowned by an immense watchtower, which houses twenty-four statues representing the castes of western India. The neighboring High Court Building is also in the Gothic style with a similar spiral staircase, but its lines are simpler and in the opinion of some, more elegant. It is a staid Victorian building at first sight, a closer look reveals the handiwork of nameless stone masons who decorated the galleries with jungles full of animals. Another building much admired for its simplicity is the Bombay Town Hall with its ribbed Doric Columns. Designed by Col. Cowper of the Bombay Engineers, the original columns shipped from England were too large and had to be used in the Byculla Church instead. The list of examples of such historic architectural landmarks in Mumbai is endless. The city now has not one but two jewels in its heritage crown, with the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus joining Elephanta as a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site. However, steadily increasing requirements for commercial and residential space are threatening Mumbai's distinctive historical, aesthetic and architectural identity. Buckley Court used to be a beautiful example of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. In an attempt to save it, the facade of the old structure was retained and the new structure built behind it. The result can only be described as 'ugly beautification'. Besides such ‘ugly beautifications’, there is also subject of hoardings on heritage buildings. Much damage to the city's heritage buildings was done during Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party rule in Maharashtra (1995-99). The coalition government not only indulged its penchant for renaming roads and historical buildings but also permitted owners of Grade III cessed buildings (pre-1940 tenanted buildings) to demolish their structures and build new ones with an FSI value of 4 or 5, which Sharada Dwivedi says is "as good as unlimited". The consequences have been disastrous. Cessed buildings are integral to Mumbai's architecture - almost 80 per cent of the city's buildings fall in this category though not all of them have been listed by the Heritage Committee. The non-listed buildings are the most vulnerable. Located in prime areas, they will, almost inevitably, be demolished gradually to make way for skyscrapers. Banganga, a beautiful heritage structure in Mumbai, was in shambles as buildings had mushroomed around this protected precinct in the year 2003. The state government since then has tried to restore its pre-colonial structures but it ruins more than it conserves. Heritage and conservation has always been a prestige domain in Mumbai. But some say the focus has been more on elite pockets like Colaba, Churchgate and Fort, sparking a debate. Many people believe that focus has been on the areas in south Mumbai as areas like these are much more intense. The support to other areas would be much more diluted because of the kind of community that resides in these precincts is not the one that influences decisions. Major reason for this might be that Mumbai's evolution core area has been Fort and south Mumbai and 80 per cent of the buildings listed as heritage buildings are in south Mumbai. Either way new attempts are being made to focus on the heritage and history of north Mumbai and the results will take a while before becoming known. A step to preserve Mumbai's architectural treasures was taken by constituting a Heritage Committee and Heritage Regulations, which were formalized in 1995, thanks to the persistent efforts of historians, architects and concerned citizens. Mumbai was India's first city to notify and regularize heritage regulations. The regulations give the designated structures legislative protection and the Heritage Committee the legal sanction to formulate special area regulations and by-laws to assist in the conservation of the city's heritage. One of the incentives that were offered to owners of heritage structures is transfer of development rights (TDR). This involves a change of user status in which owners of residential structures are granted permission to use them as commercial space. The incentive is expected to prove a success since the needs of the landlord as well as those of conservation are fulfilled. The results have been steady and encouraging. The Heritage Mile, along Dadabhai Naoroji Road, exemplifies positive change. A rash of hoardings mars the grandeur of buildings along this road in the city’s business district. Under the Heritage Regulations some businesses have been persuaded to erect hoardings in such a way that they do not disturb the facades of these buildings. But the heritage activists have been trying to keep hoardings off the heritage structures and precincts in the city, as they believe that these hoardings are doing more damage than good for the structures. But Municipal commissioner Srivastava justified some of the hoardings and billboards, saying that “Today many heritage structures are in a dilapidated condition with no funds for their conservation. If hoardings are permitted then the revenue generated can be used for repairs and maintenance of the heritage buildings. Keeping the sensitivity to Grade I heritage structures, we have recommended that no hoardings be allowed on them.” He further adds that heritage precincts are a broad term. If no hoardings are to be allowed in the Fort area as proposed, it will be a loss not only to the BMC but also to the buildings in the area. But under Regulation 67 of the Development Control Rules, Srivastava has bulldozed through a recommendation by the heritage conservation committee that 215 hoardings on heritage buildings/precincts need to be removed. The commissioner says only 25 hoardings need to come down; the rest can stay. Which hoardings need to come down will be decided according to grades given to these heritage structures. A heritage grading system lists the structures. Buildings and precincts of national importance that embody excellence in architectural style fall under Heritage Grade I. These buildings are usually landmarks. Grade II is divided into sections A and B. This grade includes buildings that have regional or local importance though they are lower in scale of importance than buildings classified under Grade I. Grade III comprises buildings and precincts consid...