Balasaheb Thackeray SmrutiUdyan, at Colaba, by RC Architects

Balasaheb Thackeray SmrutiUdyan, at Colaba, by RC Architects

BalasahebthackeraySmrutiUdyan is located on a triangular green patch in front of the National Gallery of Modern Art and Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj VastuSanghrahalay. The triangle is divided in three parts, the first part is a green patch. The second part is a crossover pedestrian plaza and the third part is a garden for the statue and the pedestal. The pedestal is designed as an arrangement of five platforms in layers starting from the bottom as - RC Architects
Balasaheb Thackeray SmrutiUdyan, at Colaba, by RC Architects

Balasaheb Thackeray SmrutiUdyan, at Colaba, by RC Architects

BalasahebthackeraySmrutiUdyan is located on a triangular green patch in front of the National Gallery of Modern Art and Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj VastuSanghrahalay. The triangle is divided in three parts, the first part is a green patch. The second part is a crossover pedestrian plaza and the third part is a garden for the statue and the pedestal. The pedestal is designed as an arrangement of five platforms in layers starting from the bottom as

  1. Platform of arrival
  2. Platform of offering
  3. Platform of memory
  4. A platform for information and imagery
  5. Platform for statue

These five layers together form a sculpturesque base for the statue.

 Drawings –

Project Facts –

Project name: Balasaheb Thackeray SmrutiUdyan

Architecture firm: RC Architects

Location: Colaba

Project Completion Year: January 2021

Project area: 8000sq.ft

Architect: Rohan Chavan (Principal RC Architects)

Senior Advisor: BhupalRamnathkar

Sculptor: Shashikant Wadke

Project Manager: Pradeep Thackera

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent

Edwin Lutyens' bust which was replaced by C. Rajagopalachari's bust in Rashtrapathi Bhavan

“Changing The Statue Does Not Change the Room”—Geethu Gangadhar on Edwin Lutyens’ Bust Removal

The current Indian government replaced Edwin Lutyens’ bust with freedom fighter C. Rajagopalachari’s at Rashtrapati Bhavan, framing it as decolonisation. But symbolic gestures don’t dismantle colonial mindsets embedded in governance, caste, and institutions. Geethu Gangadhar raises an important question: whether this removal is a way to eradicate colonial baggage or systemic removal of history.

Read More »
Massing during construction, retaining the exposed concrete facade composition, cross columns and profiled beams. Archival collection of Tibet House, 1977. Accessed in 2026

Brutalist India | Tibet House, New Delhi

As part of Brutalist India series Bhawna Dandona writes about Tibet House in New Delhi which is a non-profit cultural centre dedicated to preserving Tibetan heritage, founded in 1965 at the Dalai Lama’s request. The current building’s foundation was laid in 1974, with architect Shivnath Prasad.

Read More »
Vivek Rawal

Architecture, Power, and the Poor | “As a profession, architecture lacks moral position and has become complicit in the neoliberal dispossession of the poor.”—Vivek Rawal

Vivek Rawal argues that architecture—as a profession—is structurally aligned with political and economic power rather than social justice. He critiques how architectural education and practice prioritise developers and real estate over communities, turning housing into a market commodity. Even movements like sustainability and participation, he says, often become tools for elite consumption rather than genuine empowerment. True moral reform, according to Rawal, would mean architects relinquishing control and enabling community-led design and housing decisions.

Read More »
The Chunli Guesthouse, Shanghai, China by TEAM_BLDG 1

The Chunli Guesthouse, Shanghai, China by TEAM_BLDG

The Chunli Guesthouse, Shanghai, China by TEAM_BLDG’s response to nature, memory, and the spirit of place. The design takes “Catching” as its spiritual core, emphasizing the relationship between the architecture and the surrounding rice field landscape.

Read More »

Featured Publications

New Release

Stories that provoke enquiry into built environment

www.architecture.live

Subscribe & Join a Community of Lakhs of Readers

We Need Your Support

To be able to continue the work we are doing and keeping it free for all, we request our readers to support in every way possible.

Your contribution, no matter the size, helps our small team sustain this space. Thank you for your support.

Contribute using UPI

Contribute Using Cards