University of Mumbai Library Building

Stained Glass at University of Mumbai

Stained Glass at University of Mumbai

Stained Glass at University of Mumbai

groin-vaulted ceiling

groin-vaulted ceiling

The entrance hall has a groin-vaulted ceiling and wooden screens that separate two lecture halls. The screens, with their stained glass inserts, are part of the original furniture and are rendered in a Gothic Revival “banqueting style”.

heads of Homer and Shakespeare.

At one point two cross arches meet to form two dwarf columns on which are carved the heads of Homer and Shakespeare.

beautiful Minton tiling

The two storey University Library, with the most complex plan of the group, provides a 152 foot wide horizontal backdrop to the Rajabai Tower. The tower, built abutting and adjacent to the library, has large pointed arch openings in its base to provide the library’s porte-cochere. The Library building’s delicate and attenuated scale is enhanced by the juxtaposition and interplay of surfaces: the tower’s base is finished in rough rough but beautifully coloured Kurla stone with Porbunder additions, while the dominant finish on the Library façade is smoothly cut Porbunder additions. A delicately patterned screen of this material is also employed along the length of the main Western façade.

Its capping balustrade is joined at either end by the spiral staircases terminating in conical feather cut patterned roofs. The plant depicted on the ground floor capitals belongs to either the melon or the castor oil family. The stone surrounds of the round windows on the first floor carved with floriated multi-foil details have stained glass inserts. Arcades 14 feet deep on both floors help capture the westerly breezes of the sea.

Scott designed a groin-vaulted ground floor entrance hall with a large reception counter on the right. Two lecture rooms were separated from this main hall by wooden screens, each with stain glass inserts rendered in a Gothic Revival ‘banqueting hall’ style. rajabaitowerrestoration.com (site down)

Project Title University of Mumbai Library Building

Date of Completion July 1999

Location Fort Campus, Karamveer Bhaurao Patil Marg, Mumbai, India

Size 1,050 square metres

Costs US$286,000

Client Heritage Architect

Vikas Dilarwari, Jawahar Shan & Abhay Singh

Contractor D I Construction unescobkk

In 1997, conservation architect Vikas Dilawari spent most of his time at Rajabai Tower. “It was my second home.” Dilawari was overseeing the restoration of the structure, a 9-to-5 job that had him arranging meetings with contractors, overseeing masons and instructing electricians. The project had many conservation firsts. dnaindia.com

Classics gasp for life

The 122-year-old library in the Fort campus has 4 lakh books, apart from numerous journals and invaluable Sanskrit and Urdu manuscripts. There are almost 1 lakh books which can be classified under the rare category of which at least 25,000 need immediate attention timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The team of professionals assembled by Lambah consisted of the firm Savani Heritage Contractors for the civil works; Jhaveri and Jhaveri, acoustical engineers; Rohinton Arethna and Parveen Mistry for the stained glass conservation; and Swati Chadgadkar for stained glass consultation; Arup Sarbadhikary for structural concerns; Vikas Joshi for electrical works; and AWA Architectural Lighting Designers for the lighting.hinduonnet.com