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Architectural significance

The building is a modest office building not too ornate but does
have Renaissance Revivalist accents; the rusticated masonry on the
ground floor in the arcade area makes it prominent. The 4th floor had
corbelled brackets with a string course on which was the parapet.
When the floor was added the corbels were left and the string course
ledge was removed. The rear side is brick construction plastered with
simple double-height mouldings around the openings. The building
borrows the details and respects the new buildings across the road
and ensures physical and visual continuity on the eastern side too.
Construction Technology Fig. 11 North-West (Front) Elevation

The building has load-bearing external walls. The North and West
are in stone whereas the other two are in brick and plastered over.
Internally, it has steel columns that support the steel beams (I and H
shape) which take the load of jack arch slabs cast in concrete over
it. The main staircase is in wood. The partitions were done in single
brick with half-timber construction in it.
Past interventions

Major intervention that happened in the early 1950’s was the
addition of the top floor. The partitions were done in single brick with Fig. 12 Typical Floor Plan
half-timber construction. New load-bearing brick walls on all sides
resting on the stone parapet with RCC sill and lintel level continuous
beams on which the wooden trusses with lightweight trafford pattern
asbestos sheets rested.
Other repairs were complete replastering of the rear and south
façade in which the original cornice details were lost. The 3rd and
4th floor toilet slabs were recast a few decades ago using I sections
and stone slabs. These were probably done in the 1980’s/90’s. The
individual users/tenants refurbished their shops and offices suiting
their tastes and not keeping in mind the overall building character.

Fig. 13 Roof Plan

CONSERVING THE UNLOVED HERITAGE IN THE REDEVELOPMENT ERA OF MUMBAI – CASE
STUDY: COMMISSARIAT BUILDING, DR. D.N.ROAD, FORT, MUMBAI

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