MUMBAI: Malabar Court, an over 70-year-old Art Deco building in tony Malabar Hill, will soon give way to a boutique luxury residential tower.JSW Realty, the real estate arm of JSW Group, has signed a development agreement with the Patel family to redevelop the five-storey property. “Malabar Court has been home to the Patel family for over seven decades and holds a distinctive place in the neighbourhood’s residential fabric,” said a JSW spokesperson.Malabar Court was built by Salina Sassoon, from the family of merchant-philanthropist David Sassoon, and designed by eminent architect David William Ditchburn, who came to Mumbai after World War I, according to Art Deco Mumbai, which chronicles and documents Art Deco neighbourhoods.Ditchburn later merged his practice with Mistri & Bhedwar after the demise of the last surviving partner to form the architectural firm Ditchburn, Mistri & Bhedwar.Redevpt project ‘to draw from the Art Deco legacy’Sprawling across just under an acre, the plot is located adjacent to the Malabar Hill Club. The project draws from its Art Deco legacy while adopting a contemporary design approach.“Planned as a boutique luxury residential tower, the development is expected to generate a top line of over Rs 2,000 crore. It will offer exclusive residences, including single floor homes, duplexes and a signature penthouse,” said JSW Realty. “The project is also expected to feature a curated suite of wellness and lifestyle amenities designed to offer residents a private and tranquil retreat within the city,” it said.Sujal Shroff, CEO, JSW Realty, said, “Malabar Court is envisioned as a rare offering shaped by continuity rather than reinvention. Over the last five years, we have meticulously built a portfolio that prioritizes quality and architectural integrity. With Malabar Court, we strengthen our commitment to developments that honour legacy of the neighbourhood while delivering enduring institutional value.”Bombay adopted the Art Deco style after it emerged in the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. Since the 1930s, Mumbai has perhaps the world’s largest collection of Art Deco buildings (1,528), though many have been demolished. Atul Kumar, founder trustee of Art Deco Mumbai, said, “Malabar Hill is being reimagined. Malabar Court, a magnificent Art Deco building in fine condition, is the latest to fall under pressure of redevelopment. Low-rise neighbourhoods are giving way to ultra-high rises. The sense of dismay and loss is palpable.”
