City on my mind

The excitement was palpable A little over a week ago we at MiD DAY kicked off an awareness campaign with Abha Narain Lambah and the Urban Design Research Institute to support the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensemble that is being promoted as Mumbairsquos nomination for UNESCO World Heritage Site status The intent apart from creating awareness about this space was to also make people play their part by inviting them to vote online Once collated these signatures could be projected as public backing when the proposal is scheduled to be presented to the Maharashtra Chief Minister in midAugust The lay reader asked whatrsquos so special about this area Why support a few lsquooldrsquo buildings in south Mumbai a suburbanite threw back Such obvious queries came in from different quarters since coverage commenced and even before during ideation After all therersquos selective or no information about these buildingsrsquo significance in our history books Then again there is scant mention in newsprint of these unique architectural marvels that experts often refer to as lsquoliving heritagersquo Visiting heritage expert and town planner from the Philippines Augusto Villaloacutenrsquos put it into perspective ldquoWhat is fantastic is that these are living breathing buildings ndash either being used for public and civic needs Bombay High Court University Buildings State Public Works Department City Civil and Sessions Court or for residential Art Deco buildings purpose and therersquos even recreation Oval Maidanrdquo he reminded us We could only nod our heads in agreement Sometimes it takes a voice from outside to drive home the reality of what we tend to take for granted These architectural styles span the 19th Victorian Gothic and 20th Art Deco centuries respectively and are probably the largest such conglomeration of two styles to face each other in an urban space anywhere in the world Fascinating isnrsquot it The Oval Maidan in the centre once formed a part of the undivided Esplanade news to a few Kolkatansrsquo ears perhaps that was a wide open space meant to offer a clear firing range and view for troops positioned at the British Fort walls of incoming enemies from the Arabian Sea The third element mdash the Art Deco buildings was built on reclaimed land in the 20th century After Miami Mumbairsquos exhibition of this style is believed to be one of the largest globally In an earlier interview Professor Mustansir Dalvi from the JJ School of Architecture told this journalist an intriguing fact mdash that this style was a rebellion of the Gothic style at the time Ironic then that these face each other and form part of a grand proposal one that we hope will get its due on the worldrsquos heritage map Love for onersquos city can be translated into being sensitised and aware of such living heritage It is crucial that todayrsquos generation in particular salutes and works towards keeping this unique urban fabric intact and in safe hands Casting that vote is one step closer to realising this and respecting our city as a whole To vote log on to wwwmiddaycomheritage_support mdash The writer is Features Editor MiD DAYu00a0