Mumbai: BMC HQ to be fully restored by year-end

Restoration work on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) heritage building is nearing completion, with another floor set to be inaugurated on Tuesday.

Restoration work on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) heritage building is nearing completion, with another floor set to be inaugurated on Tuesday.

The elected wing of the BMC will be shifted to the heritage structure in the hope that it will be maintained and the building’s historic significance is maintained. The restoration work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The office of the improvement committee chairman along with works committee halls 1, 2 and 3 will be inaugurated on Tuesday.

The municipal commissioner’s office was opened in July 2014 and the office of the standing committee chairman was opened in August 2014.

The restoration of BMC’s headquarters has been going on for more than six years and the work was carried out in three phases — the first being the roof repairs and restoration, the second the restoration of the stained glass and the third the restoration of the building’s interiors.

The electrical wiring was completely changed, the Minton tile floors restored and offices reshuffled. The aim was to retain the integrity of the historical structure.

The BMC head office at CST has the country’s largest collection of Victorian stained glass in its structure from the 19th century and the restoration of this glass was carried out recently.

The work on the first and ground floors, where the special committee chairman’s offices and party offices are situated, will be completed by the end of this year.

Abha Narayan Lambah, conservation architect, said, “The halls on the second floor have been given a Victorian colour scheme, we have tried to replicate the original chandeliers used at the corporation hall designed by the original architect. We have restored the Victorian stained glass. The second floor took about four months and we aim to complete the first and ground floor by this year-end.”

Sudhir Naik, deputy municipal commissioner, said, “We will inaugurate the restored second floor on Tuesday.”