Mumbai city museum: North wing design

Abstract

Museums are buildings used to tell stories, at times about our culture and history. Of recently museum buildings; museums housed in buildings of historical importance or located in areas of historical value are going through expansion plans. In such case a sensitive design approach is required. It is needed that one understands that how can the museum respond to its historical context through its building design and narrative. The Bhau Daji Lad museum is located in Mumbai, a city with a rich cultural and heritage background. Housed in a Grade IIB heritage building the museum is already a cultural hub but needs to expand its reach and requires spaces for the same. The extension is supposed to tell the story of contemporary Mumbai; therefore, a concept of the city on water was chosen to represent the new extension. The concept fits the museum‟s location i.e.; Mumbai city. The new museum needs to respond to the site on two facets- the heritage and the city at the same time incorporating its basic functioning.