The centre will be established by the conservation, retrofitting and adaptive reuse of existing structures that have heritage value.
After opting to dissociate itself from the Bombay Chambers of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) by cancelling the trust deed, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has decided to establish the Mumbai Art and Craft Centre (MACC) by itself at the Love Grove Pumping Station in Worli.
The centre will be established by the conservation, retrofitting and adaptive reuse of existing structures that have heritage value.
Keeping this in mind, a token budgetary provision of Rs1 crore has been made for the centre. A proposal to hire Somaya and Kalappa as consultants will be tabled at the Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday.
Set up on February 4, 2002, The Mumbai Art and Craft Foundation Trust had the BCCI as its managing trustee. The municipal commissioner and the president of the BCCI were the trust’s chief trustees and the joint municipal commissioner as the trustee.
However, the civic body’s Improvements Committee had demanded an increase in the corporation’s representation in the trust, on the lines of the Bhau Daji Lad Museum.
“We wanted the mayor, deputy mayor and the chairmen of the Standing and Improvement Committees to be a part of the trust. After all, these are the committees that sanction our proposal and we thought it necessary to associate them,” said DR Mohole, chief engineer (sewerage).
But the BCCI was firm in its stand and refused to make any amendments in the constitution of the trust. Therefore, the civic body’s group leaders decided to disassociate from the BCCI by cancelling the trust deed in a meeting on July 3 this year. “We decided to establish the centre with our own resources,” said Mohole.
Experts will be consulted for the utilisation of the Castoffin House, power house and the stores and chimneys at Love Grove Pumping Station - all of which are more than 100 years old.
Talking about the adaptive reuse method, Mohole said, “This method will entail making changes from the inside while retaining the old look from the outside. It will showcase Maharashtra’s art and craft.”
Mohole said that Somaya and Kalappa were chosen as consultants as they had experience and had done a lot of work on heritage buildings in the past.
The proposal also stated Brinda Somaya was a member of the Environmental Impact Assessment of New Constructions and Projects for the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Urban Heritage Conservation Committee. Currently, Somaya is carrying out work on the old office of the Atomic Energy Department of the Central government.
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