National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai,
INTACH Greater Mumbai Chapter, and Avid Learning present Motifs, Materials, and Makers
of Indo-Saracenic Architecture.
Indo-Saracenic architecture emerged in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries as a colonial-era hybrid style that fused Indian, Islamic,
and European architectural traditions. It is characterised by onion domes,
cusped arches, chhatris, jali screens, and elaborate ornamentation layered onto
Gothic and classical spatial planning. In Bombay, this architectural vocabulary
found expression under the stewardship of architects such as George Wittet,
crystallizing Indo-Saracenic ideals into some of the city’s most recognisable
landmarks, like the Prince of Wales Museum (CSMVS) and the Gateway of India.
The fourth episode in the Motifs series turns its lens to the architectural, cultural, and political contexts that produced this distinctive design language. The expert speakers will unravel how the British architects and Indian patrons negotiated symbolism, power, and aesthetics through this hybrid style. The discussion will also reflect on contemporary approaches to conservation, adaptive reuse, and reinterpretation of these colonial-era structures in Mumbai’s evolving urban fabric.
Join us as we examine how Indo-Saracenic architecture embedded itself into Mumbai’s architectural and cultural memory.
Smita Dalvi is a Professor of Architecture. She also founded and edited for 11 years a scholarly journal of architecture, Tekton, which was published biannually by the Mahatma Education Society. She holds a PhD in Design from IIT-Bombay. Her research areas are architecture as social history, urban history and heritage, and film studies. Her research papers and articles are published in various journals and architecture magazines.She is the co-author of ‘Panvel: Great City, Fading Heritage’ (2020), and the editor of ‘Celebrating India in 75 Buildings’ (2023) – a selection of 75 significant buildings from 1947-2022. Her research paper on the history of Panvel Bunder is included in ‘Gateways to the Sea: Historical Ports and Docks of Mumbai Region’ (2024).Her forthcoming publications include two books on glossaries, on Indian Islamic Architecture & the Architectures of Bombay. She has delivered several lectures and short courses on the subject of these books.
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Abha Narain Lambah’s architectural practice covers a range of monuments across India from 15th century temples in Hampi and Ladakh, to colonial buildings in Mumbai and New Delhi, palaces and forts in Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh, to ancient archaeological sites in Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Gujarat. She has been advisor to museums such as Indian Museum Kolkata, Prince of Wales Museum Mumbai, Chowmahalla Palace Hyderabad, Lal Bagh Palace Indore and Jaivilas Museum Gwalior. She has also been involved with many urban projects and is active with various citizen’s groups. He practice has been on the Architectural Digest List and AD 100 List and has won 13 UNESCO Asia Pacific Awards
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Ms. Swati Pandey is a career bureaucrat with over 28 years of distinguished service, known for her transformative leadership across aviation infrastructure, heritage conservation, governance reform, and creative documentation of public institutions. She currently serves as Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) and has been a pioneer in aviation education, spearheading the establishment of South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation in Amravati. As Postmaster General, Mumbai, she led the restoration of the Grade-I heritage structure Mumbai GPO, seamlessly integrating Indo-Saracenic architectural conservation with modern public service delivery. This work culminated in her acclaimed e-book “Dawn under the Dome”, a definitive chronicle of the GPO’s architectural and institutional legacy. She conceptualised “Project Kamathipura”, a pioneering socio-financial inclusion initiative published as a Harvard leadership case study. Author of “Invisible in Plain Sight”, Ms. Pandey is also a National Award–winning filmmaker for documentary “Elephants Do Remember”. A TEDx speaker, and an ISB alumna, Ms Pandey actively advocates for inclusive leadership, gender equity, and sustainable development.
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Sanaeya Vandrewala is a conservation architect, academician, and researcher specializing in architectural conservation, urban design, and heritage management. She holds an MA in Conservation Studies from the University of York, UK, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Mumbai. With over 19 years of experience in India and the UK, she has worked on prestigious projects, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Ajanta Caves, Mahabodhi Temple, and the Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai, and most recently the CSMT (Victoria Terminus). Currently an Assistant Professor and Programme Coordinator at KRVIA for the master's programme in Urban Design and Urban Conservation, India, she plays a key role in curriculum development, research integration, and conservation studies. Her research focuses on urban heritage conservation, sustainability, and energy efficiency in historic buildings, with publications on topics like policy-practice gaps, the role of historic buildings in the circular economy, and heritage resilience. She actively presents at international conferences and contributes to academic discourse through journals and editorial roles. Through active engagement in both fields, she bridges academia and practice, advocating the preservation of cultural heritage through policy, education, and architectural interventions.
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Architecture often reveals the ambitions of its time. In Mumbai, some of the city’s most recognisable landmarks speak in a language that is neither fully European nor entirely Indian. They belong to a hybrid design tradition known as Indo-Saracenic architecture, a style that emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries during the colonial period. The upcoming edition of the Motifs series turns its focus to this layered architectural vocabulary and the forces that shaped it.
Presented by the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, the INTACH Greater Mumbai Chapter, and Avid Learning, this fourth episode titled Motifs, Materials, and Makers of Indo-Saracenic Architecture examines how this distinctive style took root in Bombay and became central to its visual identity.
Indo-Saracenic architecture developed as a colonial-era experiment in fusion. British architects sought to create buildings that reflected imperial authority while also referencing local traditions. The result was a stylistic blend of Indian, Islamic, and European architectural elements. Onion domes rose above Gothic frameworks. Cusped arches framed entrances structured through classical planning. Chhatris, jali screens, and intricate ornamentation were layered onto buildings that followed European spatial logic.
In Bombay, this architectural language found powerful expression under architects such as George Wittet. His work helped crystallise the Indo-Saracenic aesthetic into enduring public monuments. The former Prince of Wales Museum, now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, stands as a prominent example. Its dome, arches, and detailing reflect a deliberate synthesis of regional and imperial influences. Similarly, the Gateway of India embodies ceremonial grandeur while incorporating motifs drawn from Indo-Islamic design traditions.
Yet Indo-Saracenic architecture was not merely decorative. It was deeply political. These buildings symbolised negotiation between British authority and Indian patronage. Indian elites, merchants, and civic leaders often supported such projects, shaping how symbolism, material choice, and aesthetic references were deployed. The style became a visual statement of power, collaboration, and identity during a time of shifting social and political currents.
The discussion will also move beyond history to address the present. Many Indo-Saracenic structures remain active parts of Mumbai’s urban fabric. Questions of conservation, adaptive reuse, and reinterpretation are increasingly urgent as the city evolves. How do we preserve the material integrity of these buildings while allowing them to remain functional? How should contemporary architects engage with this legacy without reducing it to pastiche?
By situating Indo-Saracenic architecture within its broader architectural, cultural, and political context, this session encourages audiences to look more closely at familiar landmarks. These structures are not static relics. They are layered artefacts of negotiation and imagination, embedded in Mumbai’s collective memory.
Motifs, Materials, and Makers of Indo-Saracenic Architecture ultimately invites reflection on how hybrid forms shape identity. In examining domes, arches, and ornamentation, the conversation reveals how architecture becomes a record of dialogue between traditions, power structures, and communities. Through this lens, Mumbai’s skyline emerges not just as a backdrop, but as a living archive of its colonial and cultural past.
