(de)coding Mumbai documents the development of Mumbai’s housing fabric through the evolution of building and development codes. From the first regulations emerging as a panacea for the plague of 1896 to building codes today that do not consider the health of the inhabitants, it seems that the city of Mumbai has come full circle. Along the way in the last 100 years, different regimes, actors and their preoccupations have shaped the regulations for housing in the city of Mumbai. These regulations in turn shape the housing and urban form of the city impacting directly the lives of its residents.
Through 18 case studies, this research exhibition attempts to document and analyze the trajectories of Mumbai’s building codes. Tracing its interrelationships with socio-political and economic currents both domestic and international, (de)Coding Mumbai attempts to make explicit the making of Mumbai’s physical form. We are excited to launch our research with an exhibition in association with IF.BE at Ballard Estate, Mumbai on 11th June running through 25th June, 2022.
Photo credits to Philippe Calia and Sunil Thakkar