Introduction
In 1995, Mumbai was at the national forefront of protecting built heritage, when it promulgated the “Heritage Regulations for Greater Bombay”.[1] This pioneering regulation entailed extensive exercises by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC, earlier also known as MCGM), who commissioned various architectural firms, urban research groups and Institutes within Mumbai to create inventories of the city’s heritage buildings. These properties were then given a Heritage Grade of either Grade I, Grade IIA, Grade IIB, Grade III, or were designated as Precincts. Each Grade has certain regulations that stipulate its protection and other guidelines.
Heritage Grade Art Deco Properties
In the interest of making these lists publicly available, Art Deco Mumbai Trust has examined them to identify Art Deco buildings that are graded across the city. Of more than 1500 Art Deco buildings in the city (documented by Art Deco Mumbai Trust as of June 2025), 62 have been assigned a grade in the official heritage lists for Mumbai. It is valuable to know which ones have received such protection. You can view these 62 Graded Art Deco buildings below.
If you would like to see photo documentation of these Graded Art Deco buildings, type “Protected” in the search bar on www.artdecomumbai.com. It will list all the graded Art Deco properties across the city. At the bottom of the page you will also see a mention of the Grade of the building i.e. I, IIA, IIB or III.
All Heritage Grade Properties
The official heritage lists prepared by the BMC and approved by the Government of Maharashtra, which include ALL heritage buildings across ALL architectural styles, across Mumbai, have been compiled and can be viewed below.
Break up of Mumbai’s heritage properties | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Grade | I | IIA | IIB | III |
No. of | 51 | 282 | 289 | 606 |
No. of | 4 | 29 | 3 | – |
No. of | – | 5 | 2 | – |
Total | 55 | 316 | 294 | 606 |
No. of Heritage Precincts | ||||
44 | ||||
In Mumbai, there are a total of 1271 properties and 44 precincts that are graded, across all architectural styles.
Art Deco Buildings – Some Facts at a Glance:
- Total number of Graded Art Deco buildings: 62
- Grade I Art Deco buildings: None
- Grade IIA Art Deco buildings: 15
- Grade IIB Art Deco buildings: 2
- Total number of Graded Art Deco buildings: 62
- Grade III Art Deco buildings: 45
- Out of 76 Art Deco buildings included in the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai, World Heritage Site, 15 are individually graded.
- Municipal Ward with maximum number of Graded buildings: ‘A’ Ward with 32 Graded Art Deco buildings, i.e. 51% of all graded Art Deco buildings in the city.
- Grade III Art Deco buildings: 45
- Graded Art Deco buildings by typology:
TYPOLOGY | NUMBER OF |
Residential Apartments | 24 |
Commercial | 12 |
Residential Bungalow | 10 |
Educational Institute | 4 |
Cinema | 4 |
Residential | 2 |
Hotel | 2 |
Public | 1 |
Place of | 1 |
Hostel | 1 |
Club | 1 |
Total | 62 |
What do these Grades mean?
Given below, are the definitions as per the Government of Maharashtra:[3]
Grade I is assigned to buildings and sites of national/historical importance, embodying excellence in architectural style, design technology and material. These may also be associated with historical events, personalities, movements or institutions. The General Post Office, Fort and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) are examples of Grade I buildings. No Art Deco buildings have been assigned Grade I.
Grade II is for buildings and precincts of local importance, having special aesthetic and architectural merit. These can be local landmarks as well, which contribute to the identity of the city. They can have innovative climate responsiveness, ornamentation done by master craftsmen, and have ideals of proportion in the built form. Grade II has further sub-divisions into Grade IIA and IIB.
Grade IIA is generally assigned to buildings that are located along the road, having no compound wall or offset from the plot lines. Liberty Cinema, Marine Lines and Cement House, Churchgate are examples of Grade IIA Art Deco buildings.
To view photo documentation of all Grade IIA Art Deco buildings, type “IIA” in the search bar on www.artdecomumbai.com.
Grade IIB is for the buildings which are offset from the frontal plot lines; these may have a compound wall in many cases. R.A. Podar College,[4] Matunga is a Grade IIB Art Deco building.
To view photo documentation of all Grade IIB Art Deco buildings, type “IIB” in the search bar on www.artdecomumbai.com.
Grade III is designated for buildings/precincts having importance within the townscape, or having architectural and sociological significance. They may be representative of a uniformity within a precinct, a particular lifestyle, community beliefs, and region. Examples of Grade III Art Deco Properties are K.R. Cama Oriental Institute, Shahid Bhagatsingh Road, Fort; and Ruia College, Matunga.
To view photo documentation of all Grade III Art Deco buildings, type “III” in the search bar on www.artdecomumbai.com.
Precinct – A heritage precinct is an area of heritage value and cultural significance. Such an area within a specified boundary may possess a setting reminiscent of significant urban scape / townscape attributes and comprising a number of buildings and spaces, within a structure of streets / roads and other landscapes and qualifies to have cultural or heritage significance worthy of recognition and conservation. Such an area espouses a special quality of cohesiveness (mass, scale, style, architecture etc.) between its various elements, lending a unique sense of place and cultural setting.
Examples of designated Precincts are Parsi Colony Precinct, Dadar and Pali Hill Precinct, Bandra.
What are the rules around conserving or repairing these buildings?
Owners or residents of graded buildings are often unaware of the grade their building carries, and the regulations that apply to them. While undertaking repairs, it is important to follow the rules that apply to each grade. Some of the relevant rules as stated in the DCPR (Development Control And Promotion Regulations) Mumbai 2034[5] are reproduced below.Grade I
i) No interventions would be permitted either on the exterior or interior unless it is necessary in the interest of strengthening and prolonging the life of the buildings or any part or features thereof. For this purpose, absolutely essential and minimum changes would be allowed and they must be in accordance with the original. Repairs shall follow conservation norms based on proven standards with use of like to like or similar material.
ii) Additional buildings/new interventions in a Grade-I complex shall be permitted only if the development does not mar the grandeur, scale, setting and view of the main Grade I structure and the new development is in harmony with the main heritage structure.
iii) Development in surrounding area/vista:
All the development (excluding repairs) in the vista of a Grade – I heritage, within 100 m. Periphery or as may be delineated on plan, shall be regulated and controlled ensuring that it does not mar the grandeur of, or views from Heritage Grade – I.
Development permission may be granted within this regulated area provided that the proposed development does not mar the grandeur, scale and setting of, or view of or from Heritage Grade-I. In case of world Heritage sites, the directives given by the Govt. from time to time will be applicable.
iv) Development permission for the changes shall be given by the Commissioner in consultation with/taking into consideration the recommendation of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC).
Repairs to existing structures in delineated vista of a Grade-I structure shall be permissible as per these Regulations/policy without insisting NOC of MHCC.
Grade IIA
i) In addition to the scope for development permissible for Grade-I, internal changes, and adaptive reuse may be generally allowed. In certain circumstances, extension of a Grade-IIA heritage building may also be allowed; provided that such extension shall be in harmony with (and shall not detract from) the Grade-II A heritage building concerned or precinct, especially in terms of height and/or façade. External changes too may be permitted, subject to strict scrutiny. Care should be taken to ensure the conservation of all special aspects/features of Grade-IIA building concerned.
ii) Development permission shall be given by the Commissioner in consultation with/taking into consideration the recommendation of the MHCC.
Grade IIB
i) In addition to above, additional building(s) in the same plot or compound may, in certain circumstances, be allowed; provided that, such additional building(s) shall be in harmony with (and shall not detract from) the Grade-IIB heritage building(s) or precinct, especially in terms of height and/or façade and such building shall be termed as Grade-IIB.
ii) Development permission shall be given by the Commissioner in consultation with/taking into consideration the recommendation of the MHCC.
Grade III
i) External and internal changes and adaptive reuse would generally be allowed. Changes can include extensions/additional buildings in the same plot or compound provided that extension/additional building is in harmony with and does not detract from the existing heritage building/precincts especially in terms of height and/or facade.
ii) Reconstruction/redevelopment shall be allowed with the permission of Commissioner.
iii) In respect of minor/structural repairs, periodic maintenance (e.g. Waterproofing, repairs to flat/ sloping roof, existing plumbing, re-plastering), interior renovation / furniture work etc. in respect of a Grade-III heritage structure; approval may be granted by Commissioner as per these Regulations/ policy without insisting NOC of MHCC by ensuring that the intended minor works do not affect the original façade, fenestration pattern/bands/cornices, ornamental features, railings, window grid & pattern etc. as the case may be.
Precincts
i) Sensitive additions, alterations, extensions, interior renovations shall be permissible but these should not alter the character of the precinct. The new interventions could be contemporary but subtle or inspired by the original character but should not be a pastiche/tasteless imitation of it.
ii) Essential structural and non-structural repairs shall be allowed for structural stability while retaining the original architectural features.
iii) Reconstruction /redevelopment shall be allowed with the permission of the Commissioner as detailed below.
The above regulations are an extract of the provisions for repair, restoration and re-development for graded heritage buildings. For the verbatim detailed rules as stated in the DCPR 2034 Mumbai, please click here.
Conclusion
The purpose of collating this material is to raise awareness about individually listed and graded buildings in Mumbai, and provide access in the public domain to information which we hope will empower readers. The identification of Art Deco buildings in these lists is an outcome of the documentation and inventory exercise undertaken by Art Deco Mumbai Trust over several years. No facts have been altered in the dissemination of this information.
Even though Mumbai was the pioneer in grading and protecting its heritage, having done so in 1995, there continues to be a hesitation amongst residents and owners to have their property listed. The notion that a ‘heritage’ tag disallows alterations and repairs is common. However, the regulations provided in the DCPR 2034 mentioned above allow essential structural repairs, restoration, and permissible alterations depending on the grade of the property. It is therefore imperative that we ensure maintenance and protection of as many significant properties as possible, irrespective of grade.
For more information about heritage lists and graded buildings of all architectural styles, you can visit the official Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) website.
If you want to list a property as a graded heritage property then you can write to the Urban Development Department (1), Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai at psec.ud1@maharashtra.gov.in. If you are concerned that an existing graded heritage building is being altered in a manner that compromises its original features or mars its grandeur, scale or view, especially for Grade I and Grade II buildings, then you can write to mhccmumbai@gmail.com.
Disclaimer: The information above is made available on a best effort basis. Please consult your architect, urban planner, heritage consultant, BMC, MHCC, State Government or suitable professional to determine its applicability on a case to case basis.
By Atul Kumar, Trustee, Art Deco Mumbai Trust and Apoorva Iyengar, FORT Heritage Conservation Association, with inputs by Varada Phadkay and Joshua Fernandes of Art Deco Mumbai Trust.
Header Image: Digital illustration by Vandita Shukla, Art Deco Mumbai Trust
One Reply to “The Heritage List of Graded Buildings in Mumbai”
Now let us get ready to fight the government & owners/ builders / politicos who wants to damage/ erase the heritage.,