Why Art Deco?
“When Rahul and I were working on Bombay: The Cities Within, we realised that there are no comprehensive publications on the subject of Art Deco architecture in Mumbai,” Dwivedi shares. It was a huge task since computerised archives weren’t available on the subject, and research meant going through stacks of books and volumes of articles. “We even found old advertisements depicting several original structures. They’ve been incorporated in the book.” Offering an example of how other countries would employ such wealth, Dwivedi shares, “Buildings in Napier, a town in New Zealand, were reconstructed in Art Deco style after an earthquake destroyed much of the town in the 1930s. It drums up tourism by hosting annual Art Deco events.” Why Oval Maidan is special As she flips through the pages, Dwivedi’s eyes light up when she encounters a giant photograph of Oval Maidan. Running her fingers over the dated picture that offers an aerial view of the grounds, Dwivedi says, “Oval Maidan is sandwich
