Earlier this week, while walking through the bylanes of his neighbourhood, poet-author Ranjit Hoskote noticed a board hanging at the entrance of the municipal market in Khar West. “The board indicated that the market, which is an Art Deco structure, although worn down by neglect, shoddy repairs, seepage, and tarpaulins, is set to be redeveloped by a builder who seems unfazed by its enchanting blend of glass, chrome, and grey massifs [a large structural element, often used for support or to create a sense of grandeur],” says Hoskote. 

“Stylistically, the municipal market is very classic,” notes Atul Kumar, founder of Art Deco Mumbai, a group dedicated to preserving and documenting the city’s Art Deco architectural heritage. “It has a distinctly stepped profile and is an elegant, simple structure,” notes Kumar, adding that the fact that the market is a public building gives it even more significance in terms of urban memory.