If style maketh the man, the streets maketh the city. They are the lifeblood of a city, determining its character and perception. And so, you have the sedation of Chandigarh's broad, genteel avenues; and the thrumming colour of Varanasi's crowded, variegated streets. New York has its 'every man for himself' mean streets, while Paris is famous for its streetwise cafes and unhurried pace of life.
Mumbai's Streets are its life. It is where the city shops and eats, works and wastes, and as is true, lives and dies as well. This edition of Jashn-e-Dastaan-e-Mumbai celebrates the varied streets of the metropolis and their unique culture, from the Vada Pao to Fashion Street, from forgotten street furniture to vivid street signs shouting new wares.
The ASM's Mumbai Research Centre was founded by Dr. Aroon Tikekar in 2009 to rigorously research these varied aspects of urban life. Since 2020, the MRC has organised the Jashn-e-Dastaan-e-Mumbai annually to bring together academics and laypersons, entertainers, and entrepreneurs to share knowledge and to raise funds for research. We aim to raise enough revenue to fund the research and outreach programs of the MRC through the year.
Streetscapes - Past, Present and Imagined is a combination of an illustrated talk by Ar. Robert Stephens, author of Bombay Imagined, and an extended discussion. Ar. Stephens will talk about what the city's streetscapes would have looked like, if some or all plans for the city had come to fruition, including new airports, reclamation plans and drains. You're invited to join the discussion and reminisce about the streetscape you grew up in, and how it has changed over the years. What are the old shops and buildings and institutions that have faded away or stood the test of time, commerce and COVID? What are the ways in which your current streets have changed, for better or for worse?
After completing his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech in 2007, Ar. Robert Stephens left his childhood hometown of Summerville, South Carolina and moved to Mumbai, India. He joined RMA Architects as an apprentice at the age of 22 and is now a principal at the same firm. Robert is part of the core team at RMA responsible for recent additions to Mumbai’s built environment, including the CSMVS Visitors’ Centre (2011) and Children’s Museum (2019) at Kala Ghoda, and the under-construction Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Crematorium at Worli.
In 2016 he founded Urbs Indis, a studio that narrates lesser-known civic histories through the juxtaposition of archival material with contemporary aerial photographs of urban India. His work has been exhibited in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Edinburgh, and has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, DOMUS India and Scroll.in. He currently lives in Mumbai with his wife and son.
Please RSVP here to join the discussion.
Date: 27 January 2023
Time: 5 o 6.30 pm
Venue: Durbar Hall of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai.
