TDF Ghar

The House was originally constructed in the 1930s under an almond tree with hand-crafted tiles.^[2] It belonged to a Hindu woman, Haribai Motiram, who later sold it to the Dawood family's ancestors.^[3][4]

The house is situated in the East-Karachi neighborhood Jamshed Quarters and is accessible through Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road. Jamshed Quarters was envisioned by then-Mayor and philanthropist Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta as a home for the growing middle class of Karachi. It was home to multiple ethnicities and people of different faith, like Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Parsis, and Jews.^[5]

The Dawood Foundation restored the building from 2016 onwards and TDF Ghar was open to public as of August 2017.

TDF Ghar is an informal learning space for the citizens of Karachi to gather and exchange. The house retains its heritage features but has been transformed into a public space. With its unique mix of a museum and cultural programme, it also attracts tourists.^[6] It reflects upon Karachi's past, the mix of cultures that it presented, and the kinds of lives that people lived during pre-independence time. The three 'Numaish Halls' and a training room in the building's first floor can be utilised for organising workshops, training, seminars, exhibitions, and other activities.

TDF Ghar's 'Living Room' has been restored with original fixtures and is being used as a museum for historical collections. The tiles used in the living room are handmade and were made in the Jamshed Nusserwanji factory.

'The Living Room' also has antique pieces and furniture such as vintage chess sets, a glass cupboard with fine china, an original silica treadle sewing machine, gramophone, radio, telephone, typewriter, and lamps, from as early as the 1930s.^[7] The European style sofas, Parsi furniture, Anglo-Indian vanity dressing table, and Irani chairs, present a mixture of different cultures and portray the ethnic inclusive nature of Karachi.

Three Numaish (Exhibition in Urdu) Halls on the upper floor of TDF Ghar act as empty multi-purpose spaces. Art exhibitions, talks, film screenings, performances, large meetings, and workshops are taking place there.^[8]

On the veranda of TDF Ghar’s back-side is a small café named Sehan Café. It harnesses the Irani café culture that Karachi had been famous for, with bentwood chairs.^[9]

On the first floor is a book-swapping library in collaboration with Junaid Akram's project – The Novel Idea.^[10] Visitors can read any book or swap their books with any book from the same genre. There are more than 2500 books in various categories such as fiction, non-fiction, children, history, and much more.^[11]

The rooftop at TDF Ghar is a wide space directly looking over the Quaid's Mausoleum. It is one of the few locations in the city which directly overlooks the mazaar, the very symbol of Karachi.^[12]