Designers are turning Indian cityscapes into collectible objects, scaling down skylines, façades and terrain onto furniture and sculpture.
Shakti Bhavan Bar Cabinet Recreates Mumbai’s Art Deco
Atelier Bobby Aggarwal’s bar cabinet, called Shakti Bhavan, translates the Art Deco legacy of Mumbai into a compact heirloom. The piece uses printed leather, wood and brass, with rounded corners that echo balconies, awnings and fenestrations typical of the era. “Bombay has always somehow found its way into my work, as a tribute to the city that is so much a part of my design journey,” the designer said.
Inside, a bright ultra‑suede lining meets brass railings that recall old cinema halls. Aggarwal noted he wanted more than a functional cabinet; he aimed to capture “a feeling of Bombay evenings, of lived‑in elegance, of something nostalgic yet still alive.” The result feels both usable and experiential, inviting users to linger over drinks while absorbing a miniature cityscape.
The cabinet’s exterior is deliberately layered, with stacked balconies and verdant creepers rendered in the printed leather that mimic the vertical rhythm of Mumbai’s historic streets. Red awnings and the crisp geometry of fenestrations are not merely decorative; they serve to distill the city’s architectural language into a single, tactile surface. The use of brass accents reinforces the period’s sense of opulence while maintaining a modern hand‑crafted quality. By integrating these details, Aggarwal creates a narrative that moves from the public façade to an intimate interior, echoing the way a city transitions from busy avenues to private courtyards.
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Bombay Carousel Spins the City’s Layers
Priyanka Shah and Swapnil Gange of SHED produced a kinetic sculpture named Bombay Carousel that treats the city as a rotating micro‑cosm. The base represents the sea, while ascending layers depict streets, taxis, buses and the famed Dabbawalas. Teakwood forms the core structure, complemented by brass, coloured glass and stone.
“The design process began with research and observation, breaking the city into essential elements through drawings and scaled studies,” Shah explained. Prototypes were tested for proportion and legibility in motion, yielding an installation that moves while preserving the layered character of Mumbai.
Every component of the carousel is handcrafted in‑house, employing carpentry, lathe work and meticulous metal fitting. The choice of teakwood was driven by its tensile strength and warm patina, which supports the kinetic demands of the piece while providing a natural backdrop for the brass and glass accents. The sea‑inspired base anchors the work, symbolising Mumbai’s coastal origin, and the subsequent tiers ascend like concentric rings that capture the city’s density. By animating the sculpture, the designers allow viewers to experience the city’s rhythm, as each rotation reveals another facet of daily life—from the iconic kaali‑peeli taxis to the orchestrated movement of the Dabbawalas.
These exquisite creations rely on a deep understanding of materials, masterful craftsmanship, and architectural precision to bring these detailed objects to life.