Six art deco buildings you need to check out in Goa Curved corners and columns, pastel colours, stylised motifs and lettering are standout features of these art deco buildings
Chryselle D'Silva-Dias December 14, 2018 This four-storey building round the corner from the Panjim municipal building is a fine example of Indian Art Deco Much is written about Panjim’s architecture and its old Goan homes built under the Portuguese regime. Odes have been written to Fontainhas and the Latin Quarter, but there’s another architectural style here that is also prominent but not as celebrated. Rising from the ashes of the two World Wars, the art deco movement celebrated opulence, style and flamboyance, a reflection of which can be seen in the fashion, culture, furniture, and design of those years. Art deco buildings stand out with their bold designs and colour. Geometric elements are key and these show up in the black and white tiles, floors with different shapes embedded in them, elaborate railings, and decorative elements on the façade. Panjim has many beautiful buildings that feature the art deco and art moderne influences. Here’s a guide to some of the most prominent ones, with a few more scattered around in Altinho (the chief minister’s official residence is a good example) but these are all within the central Panjim spine. Art Deco in Goa | Hotel Mandovi Goa’s first multi-storeyed building was designed in 1952 to cater to the visitors expected to attend the Exposition of the Relics of St. Francis Xavier in 1952. Prolific art deco architects, Mumbai-based Master, Sathe and Bhuta were hired to design the hotel. The design of the Mandovi hotel (named after the river which flows in front of the hotel) was inspired by the success of the string of art deco buildings at Marine Drive in Bombay. The six-storey building features curved corners and columns, long balconies and metal railings with motifs peculiar to that period. The mural on the outer wall depicts scenes from Goan life. The salmon colour of the building seems to be popular with other buildings designed during that time. Mandovi Hotel | This four-storey building round the corner from the Panjim municipal building in Goa is a fine example of Indian Art Deco Art Deco in Goa | Congress Office building Right next to Hotel Mandovi is a one-storey green building that was also designed in the art deco or art moderne style. Even though it is not as well maintained as its more illustrious neighbour, this building is worth admiring for its curved corner and covered wrap-around verandah. Art Deco in Goa | Damodar Niwas, Mahatma Gandhi Road This four-storey building round the corner from the Panjim municipal building is a fine example of Indian Art Deco. Belonging to the Damodar Mangalji Company, the building has a mix of commercial establishments and residences. A small plaque on the ground floor tells us that the building dates to November 1952. The lettering on the building is consistent with art deco. The centre tower holds the long balconies on either side in perfect symmetry, reminding one of a book being thrown open or maybe a bird spreading its wings. SEE THE IMAGES HERE: https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/goa-architecture-art-deco-buildings/#s-cust0
