This unique handbook documents how Art Deco sites in Mumbai can be restored

Septuagenarian Nayana Kathpalia recalls a childhood memory of watching enthusiasts learning horse riding at Oval Maidan from her balcony at Swastik Court ldquoThere were no buses then so this road was quietrdquo reminisces the oldtime resident who has been instrumental in the structure and several around it winning the UNESCO World Heritage Site WHS status in 2018The handbook acts as a reference for buildings of similar character and vintage The idea to publish it emerged halfway through the restoration project PicRane AshishldquoThat was a sweet victoryhelliprdquo she acknowledges greeting Atul Kumar foundertrustee of Art Deco Mumbai Trust ADMT on a nippy January morning The nonprofit that is committed to the awareness and conservation of Art Deco heritage sites in the city collaborated with residents of this building on its repairs The outcome is one that its 12 resident families will benefit from The team is behind a unique manual that documents the process from start to finishThe residents of the cessed building obtained an NoC from MHADA to carry out repairs privately with the appointed contractor Mahadeo Sawane coming on board in 2019 backed by landlady Mamata KinkhabwalaMamata Kinkhabwala Nayana Kathpalia and Atul Kumar outside Swastik CourtThe 1936built landmark that was part of the first 18 blocks on Queenrsquos Road todayrsquos Maharshi Karve Road has a lobby compound walls wrought iron balcony grilles teakwood bannisters banding and basrelief work that speak of the unique architectural style The last element led to possibly one of the biggest discoveries of this project The threepanel design on the front facade was originally made from colourcrete but had been plastered over during previous interventions Nityaa Lakshmi Iyer the conservation architect and project head cleaned it herself she also consulted material scientists at Kansai Nerolac Paints for their water based paint removal technology and later when the layers of cement came off the original scheme revealed a pop of colour it remains one of the most memorable days for the entire teamThe redone mosaic on the terrace with the Swastik symbol PicsPradeep DhivarldquoIn the lobby no interventions were done for the terrazzo tiles the Burma teak elevator cabin wooden staircase and bannisters letterboxes or nameplates Cleaning and polishing was enough to do the trickrdquo says Kumar Kinkhabwala smiles when we ask about participation and cooperation ldquoWe were on board with the residents and ADMT We wanted to ensure that the restoration would be in sync with the buildingrsquos vintage and aestheticrdquo Kumar adds ldquoBeing original residents they shared a common vision for their building They also added insight through oral histories It is special to see such cooperation in tenanted buildings They know their building has value with or without the WHS statusrdquoSwastik Court resident Nayana Kathpalia points to the family crest that depicts the initials of the buildingrsquos original owner Varjiwandas Motilal SaraiyaAs we stepped out of the Stiglermade elevator on to the fifth floor the residence of the landlord two impressions on its front door portray the swastika symbol and the family crest inscribed with the letters V M and S ldquoIt stands for Varjiwandas Motilal Saraiyamdashthis buildingrsquos original ownerrdquo shares Kathpalia revealing that he was her granduncle Kumar shares how the need to document these findings led to the idea of publishing The Swastik Court HandbookThe basrelief panel after restoration Also seen is the lettering of the building highlighting its name Swastik CourtldquoIt could serve as valuable references for other buildings of similar vintagerdquo The meticulous detailing of every stage of the restoration the pictorial comparisons and practical solutions will aid invested and informed stakeholders linked to Mumbairsquos residential sites On the terrace the trio guided me to the iconic swastika mosaic pattern on the western side ldquoThe original was a larger version Sawane was initially unsure about recreating it after the terrace was waterproofed but he saw merit in retaining the now scaleddown version After all the design is an important part of its identityrdquo elaborates KathpaliaNityaa Lakshmi Iyer cleans the basrelief to expose a rich layer of colours PicArt Deco Trust MumbaiBy now a steady sea breeze quite literally lsquoblows our mindrsquo In front of us the Oval Maidan and the famous Victorian Gothic skyline make for a picturepostcard setting more so if yoursquore a Swastik Court resident ldquoWe were open responsive and pragmatic with the residents and engaged with contractors in a language they understood We hope the handbook spreads the wordrdquo says Kumar of the manual which will be officially released on February 11 at Durbar Hall Asiatic Society of Mumbai by architects Vikas Dilawari and Robert Stephens