David Sassoon to say Shalom with a smile

Cheery chapter opens for heritage library, reading room; restoration, conservation for imposing city landmark

The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room has just opened a cheerful chapter. It has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with JSW Foundation for restoration and conservation of the iconic monument at Kala Ghoda. The work on the SoBo landmark began a day ago and has a timeline with a 2023 finish. The initiative is in collaboration with conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah.

Reciprocate

Sangita Jindal, chairperson JSW Foundation, claims this is “giving back” to the institution. Jindal stated it was reciprocation for the welcome the Library has given people, especially during the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. Jindal called the building “a primary institution of learning in the heart of Mumbai’s art and heritage precinct”, pointing to its proximity to educational and cultural hubs like Elphinstone College and Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya (CSMVS), the museum. Hemant Bhalekar,  David Sassoon committee president said, “We have been waiting for this day for a long time”, while Lambah added this was about “restoring the magical legacy of the icon”. Lambah said, underpinning the importance of the edifice, that the Library is “among the oldest landmarks in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Victorian & Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai. The conservation plan covers restoration of the interiors and exteriors. This includes rebuilding of the original sloping roof over the library, restoring the façade and conservation of the interior”.

Restoration

Jindal explained, “There will be restoration of the stone surface on the front elevation particularly in the front porch as well as the decorative cornice bands on the first floor and at the terrace level.” She continued, “We are looking at better spatial arrangement through restoring interiors like the library, reading hall, offices and foyers.” There will be emphasis on, she said, “The intricate Minton tile flooring. This was originally imported from England around the 19th century. These are small ceramic-based tiles used as a mosaic of brightly coloured elements. Starting from the lobby, the tiles extend onto the first-floor reading room and veranda. The patterns vary from room to room.”

A lift of the eyes from the floor takes one to ceilings where “restoration of the Burma teak wood ceilings and rafters is on the anvil. The Library and Reading Room has solid teak tables with Gothic elements and even some pieces of furniture inset with handmade ceramic tiles, which need attention. Most of the bookshelves on the first-floor reading room are among the first pieces of furniture commissioned for the building in 1870,” Jindal said.

Officials who did want to be named but described themselves as “close to the restoration project” claimed the cost is R4 crore. JSW has joined with Hermes, Kala Ghoda Association, The Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai and others to raise funds for this project.

The history

The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room is a Grade 1 heritage building. It is one of the oldest surviving libraries in Mumbai and among the first buildings to be built at Kala Ghoda, in 1870. It was designed by Gostling and Campbell in buff-coloured trachyte (Malad stone) and limestone. The institute was renamed in 1938 as the David Sassoon Library and Reading Room, after Sir David Sassoon, a Baghdadi Jew merchant, who funded the construction of the iconic monument.

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