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Pride of Parel
Updated On: 25 July, 2021 09:54 AM IST | Mumbai | Anju Maskeri
An old, neglected Art Deco building receives a new lease of life, thanks to the collaboration between a team of architects and an asset management firm that has made it its new home. And it’s inspiring a mini transformation of the neighbourhood
Built in the 1940s, Adeshwar Mahal is a ground plus three-storeyed building, and belongs to one of the last phases of the Art Deco movement. Pic/Bipin Kokate
Four years ago, Niket Deshpande, director at System Architects India, decided to set up his office in one of the abandoned quarters of Parel. That too, in a derelict building that had earned the moniker, “khandar of Bamboo Gully” among locals. Built in the 1940s, Adeshwar Mahal is a ground plus three storeyed Art Deco building, inhabited by two tenants. “The landlord was least interested in the structure, and there was animosity between the tenants and him. In fact, he was planning to raze it since it was a headache to maintain. At my insistence, he [the landlord] agreed to rent one of the eight residential units to me for a year. We secured permission to make it our commercial office,” As a trained conservation architect, Deshpande saw potential in a structure where most saw neglect.
Adeshwar Mahal is turning heads and how—the poised, elegant facade is a far cry from its former shabby avatar. The building belongs to one of the last phases of the Art Deco movement, says Deshpande. “So, it doesn’t have too many ornamentation elements, but it has the character of a quintessential Art Deco structure, including a spiral staircase, corner balconies and tile choices.” The term, Art Deco, refers to a design period that was popular in Europe in the 1920s and ‘30s. Its aesthetic is a careful balance of opulence and practicality. The idea of a complete restoration, Deshpande tells us, came about last August when Ramshrya Yadav, founder and CEO, Integrow Asset Management, an alternate investment fund that focuses on real estate, visited their office for an Independence Day event. “He was looking for an office space, and his primary concern was whether the building [Adeshwar Mahal] was sturdy enough.” Integrow’s design brief was simple: a welcoming, non-intimidating space that felt like home. This connected well with the core competency of Deshpande’s firm, which was earlier involved in the making of Jaya He GVK Museum at the T2 terminal of the Mumbai International Airport. After studying the company’s journey and brand identity, they presented a restoration proposal. “We wanted to do a surgery [of the structure], but just the right amount so that we didn’t mess with the original aesthetics and character.”
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