24/09/25
How an Art Movement from Paris Quietly Shaped Mumbai
A Walk Through South Bombay
Take a stroll through South Bombay and you’ll notice something unusual. Shapes repeat themselves across cinemas, apartment facades, and railings—zigzags, waves, sunbursts, and sleek lines pointing toward the sky. These are not random details. They belong to Art Deco, a style that travelled from Paris in the 1920s and transformed Mumbai into one of the world’s great Deco capitals.
A Modern Style Born in Paris
Art Deco began at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels in Paris (1). Emerging from the shadow of World War I, it rejected heaviness and celebrated modernity—geometry, clean lines, and the promise of progress.
At first called le style moderne or Jazz Moderne, the term “Art Deco” only gained currency decades later in the 1960s (2). What defined it was adaptability: in France it was playful, in America it became streamlined modernism—and everywhere it absorbed local tastes and cultural symbols.
Deco Arrives in Bombay
The style reached Bombay in the 1930s, carried by wealthy patrons, cinema magnates, and a city eager to showcase modernity (3). Landmark theatres, residential blocks, and office buildings embraced Deco as a statement of sophistication. At the same time, the city’s rising middle class saw in Deco an affordable and aspirational alternative to Gothic stone architecture.
Local architects didn’t just copy the Parisian style—they infused it with Indian character. Lotus flowers, tropical motifs, and pastel shades softened Deco’s geometry and rooted it firmly in Mumbai’s coastal light (4). Over time, this blend came to be known as “Bombay Deco.”
Impact on Mumbai’s Architecture: Art Deco in Mumbai
The arrival of Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) transformed construction in Bombay (5). Faster, cheaper, and more versatile than stone, it allowed entire neighborhoods to spring up in record time. Deco’s clean geometry and functionality suited this material perfectly, replacing the ornamented heaviness of Victorian Gothic with a sleeker, modern skyline.
From Marine Drive to the Oval precinct, whole stretches of the city were reshaped in this new language of design (6).
Motifs That Defined the Era
Sunburst
Radiating rays symbolising optimism and renewal, often seen above theatre entrances.
Frozen Fountain
Cascades of water frozen in symmetry, conveying elegance and permanence.
Speed Lines
Streaks and curves suggesting acceleration, echoing trains and ships of the Machine Age.
Waves
Undulating patterns inspired by Japanese art, resonating deeply with Mumbai’s Arabian Sea setting.
A Living Heritage
Today, Mumbai boasts the second-largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the world, after Miami (7). From Marine Drive’s sweeping curve to the cinema halls of Dadar and Fort, Deco architecture is woven into the city’s identity.
In 2018, UNESCO recognised it as part of Mumbai’s World Heritage ensemble (8). And as the style turns 100 years old in 2025, the invitation remains simple: look around you, and Deco Dekho.
References
Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Paris 1925 – Metropolis Mag
https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/exhibition-started-international-style-art-deco/“Art Deco: The History of a Style” – Scala Archives
https://scalarchives.com/art-deco-the-history-of-a-style-through-7-iconic-objects/“Art Deco Mumbai: Origins & Legacy” – Art Deco Mumbai Trust
https://artdecomumbai.com/“Bombay Deco and Indian Motifs” – Architectural Digest India
https://www.architecturaldigest.in/story/mumbai-art-deco-architecture/History of RCC in Mumbai Architecture – Indian Concrete Institute Journal
https://icjonline.com/Oval & Marine Drive Art Deco Precincts – Art Deco Mumbai Trust
https://artdecomumbai.com/explore/Mumbai as 2nd Largest Art Deco Collection – Architectural Digest India
https://www.architecturaldigest.in/story/mumbai-art-deco-architecture/UNESCO World Heritage Listing: Victorian Gothic & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai – UNESCOhttps://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1480/