Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai

The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai is a collection of 19th-century Victorian Revival public and 20th-century Mumbai Art Deco private buildings in the Fort precinct of Mumbai.^[1] This ensemble was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.^[2][3]

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Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Top to bottom: Bombay High Court; Art Deco buildings along Marine Drive; and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
Location within India
Location	Mumbai, India
Criteria	Cultural: (ii), (iv)
Reference	1480
Inscription	2018 (42nd Session)
Area	66.34 ha (163.9 acres)
Buffer zone	378.78 ha (936.0 acres)
Coordinates	18°55′46″N 72°49′48″E

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These buildings are set around the Oval Maidan, a large recreational ground that was once known as the Esplanade.^[2] The east of the Oval is flanked by the Victorian Gothic public buildings and the western side is flanked by the Art Deco buildings of Back bay Reclamation and Marine Drive.^[2] This nomination aims to safeguard a total of 94 buildings.^[4][5]

The 19th century Victorian Gothic buildings that lie to the east of the Oval are mainly the Bombay High Court, The University of Mumbai (Fort Campus) and The City Civil and Sessions Court (Housed in the Old Secretariat Building).^[6][2] This stretch also houses one of the landmarks of Mumbai, the Rajabai Clock Tower. The 20th century Art Deco buildings flank the western stretch of the Oval and consist mainly of privately owned residential buildings and the Eros Cinema among others.^[2]

This ensemble of Victorian Gothic and Art Deco buildings was added to the list of United Nations Educational, Scientific, And Cultural's World Heritage Sites on 30 June 2018 during the 42nd session of World Heritage Committee at Manama, Bahrain.^[7]