Synopses & Reviews
Review
"In his book Navin Ramani compares the two cities and describes in detail stylish Bombay. The architecture of the 1930s and 40s is beautifully illustrated and his book will do much to bring in 'Deco fanciers' from around the world." -- Richard Gray "Author of Cinemas in Britain"
Synopsis
Bombay Art Deco presents a treasury of Art Deco buildings comprising residential, commercial and civic architecture created during the glamorous and optimistic era of the mid 1930's and 1940's. The architects, a small list of first generation Indian architects and builders, were mostly educated in English schools and trained in western architectural traditions, if not actually in the West. Impatient with the British reluctance to shed the Gothic and Indo - Saracenic architectural styles that had dominated Imperial Bombay's urban landscape, these visionaries were determined to imbue the city with a new modern style. That style shares its provenance with the Art Deco architecture of Miami Beach, termed Tropical Deco by author Laura Cerwinske in her seminal 1981 book. Built in the same era, the Art Deco architecture of the two cities exhibits similar scale, geometry, tropical vocabulary, and love of romance.
Synopsis
A photographic study of one of Bombay's most interesting districts A useful visual reference for any architecture student interested in Art Deco, twentieth century style shifts, or the Indian subcontinent Bombay Art Deco Architecture presents a treasury of Art Deco buildings comprising residential, commercial and civic architecture. These monuments were created during the mid '30s and '40s, a glamorous and optimistic era that predated the official end of the British Raj. The architects, a small list of first-generation Indian architects and builders, were mostly educated in English schools and trained in western architectural traditions. Impatient with the British reluctance to shed the Gothic and Indo-Saracenic architectural styles that had dominated Imperial Bombay's urban landscape, these visionaries were determined to imbue the city with a new modern style. That style shares its provenance with the Art Deco architecture of Miami Beach, termed 'Tropical Deco' by author Laura Cerwinske in her seminal 1981 book. Built in the same era, the Art Deco architecture of the two cities exhibits similar scale, geometry, tropical vocabulary, and love of romance."
About the Author
Cerwinske regularly publishes articles on architecture, interior design, and fine art.