“Libraries are less in use and getting redundant, so this honour is great news for Mumbai,” admits Vikas Dilawari, conservation architect, whose efforts with his core team ensured that the stunning and iconic Jamsetjee Nessarwanji Petit Institute in Fort earned an Award of Distinction in the 2015 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

The newly restored library at the JN Petit Institute, Fort. Pic/Sameer Markande