Focused on the southern tip of the city centre around the Fort area and the waterfront along Marine Drive near Chowpatty Beach there is a surprisingly dense cluster of Art Deco buildings in the city, but without having my eyes peeled for the details, this mostly passed me by on my visit in 2010. However the Victorian Gothic aspects sat very prominently in my memory.

Sitting on the Oval Maidan, which forms the core of the nominated area, watching innumerable cricket matches the main impression I had was of English influenced metropolitan architecture, particularly the large brick Neo-Gothic buildings which felt like the logical continuation after my arrival at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus which is built in a similar style.

The heat drew me away from the cricket and led me to engage more firmly with one of the city's Art Deco treats. As I was in Mumbai it would have been rude not to go to a cinema (though the draw of a cool dark air conditioned interior was almost as strong as my cultural desires) but with visiting time short and unsure of the subtitle situation I decided to forgo a traditional Bollywood movie, instead watching any English language film there was being shown (Hello to Jason Isaacs in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt1). So I headed off to the lovely Regal Cinema, which I certainly recognised as Art Deco. I was really happy to have engaged in the cinema going experience in India which was a much more lively and interactive experience than I was used to even if the cinema was very similar to my local one in London and seeing the Number 19 bus to Finsbury Park projected on the big screen gave me yet another taste of home.

In the evening I decided to treat myself on the last night of my holiday with a cocktail at one of the swanky bars on top of the hotels on Marine Drive. This area is one of the main focuses of the nomination, and there are an awful lot of Art Deco buildings along the waterfront. However, again, I don't really remember the Art Deco aspects, mostly I just remember the slightly bland international corporate hotel architecture. But certainly this was because I wasn't paying attention as there are some lovely examples along the waterfront. With the Soona Mahal being a particular highlight.

This website and its associated Instagram account are a great resource for picking out the highlights.

As it was, the cocktail was reasonably enjoyable, however my stroll along the renowned Chowpatty Beach afterwards proved much more to my taste, there was a lovely family atmosphere and a friendly group of kids helped me to get the best Vada Pav and Bhelpuri available from the multiple food stalls. The water was about as uninviting as any I have seen though, so don't pack you towel expecting a swim.

So, I seem to have covered all of the nominated area but beyond my cinema trip I don't have any particularly strong memories of the Art Deco buildings. Now that says a fair bit about me not paying enough attention, but I will also say I tend to focus on twentieth century architecture when travelling, yet the buildings in Mumbai didn't grab my attention.

Perhaps his is because some of the listed buildings aren't presented in the best light, I still can't really fathom what the renowned Watson's Hotel is supposed to be under its rusty clutter. In fact I think the street level bustle and jumble of the city perhaps distracted me from the architectural ensemble above my eyeline.

It is worth noting that two of Mumbai's most famous landmarks, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Gateway of India, were built in the same period as the inscribed buildings and sit in the same area of the city, yet aren't included, However, if you have visited them, you almost certainly would have passed through the core zone of this WHS.

I think the area of central Mumbai is a really interesting architectural ensemble mixing aspects of European and Indian architecture, with the strong flavour of British in the Victorian Gothic aspects certainly shining through, though this would feel more like a logical extension of the already inscribed CST. The Art Deco elements are there, however it needs a keener eye to pick them out as a larger ensemble, rather than the odd bit of detailing.

Site 6: Experience 8