Adapting Art Deco to Indian climate, culture and design

Mint

24-05-2025

One of the more interesting stories we have this week is on the village of Dharmaj in Anand, Gujarat, which has more than 120 Art Deco buildings that date back to the 1930s and '40s—that's a lot for a village where, even today, just about 11,000 people live.
Many of these homes are in various states of disrepair and—with 2025 being the 100th year of the Art Deco style of architecture—there are efforts to restore them, as Avantika Bhuyan reports. But editing Avantika's story reminded me of Tamil Nadu's Chettinad region, which is said to have more than 10,000 decaying Art Deco homes, built in the last century, and abandoned because the following generations have moved away or cannot afford to pay for their maintenance.
Keeping old properties up to date can be an expensive and time-consuming affair, which is why many owners ultimately sell up or redevelop these sprawling old houses or movie theatres into more modern blocks. Over thelast 20 years, many of the beautiful, quirky, elaborate and comforting old Art Deco buildings have disappeared from our cityscapes. Urban enthusiasts may not be able to save the buildings themselves but they're doing the next best thing—taking photos, tracking down their histories and putting information about Art Deco buildings onlinein an effort to document it. For India, Art Deco isn't just about buildings; it represents a moment of aspiration and cosmopolitanism in a country that was on the verge of freedom. We also adapted the style, which originated in France, to our own climate, culture and uses, adding our own features, motifs and more. Do read the story as well as check the online projects we've mentioned—you might just find a building or a memory from your childhood. In this centenary year of Art Deco, architects are also conducting walks and talks, taking people through neighbourhoods where some of these homes still stand. The cover of Mint Lounge, dated 24 May 2025.
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