Watson's Hotel
Encyclopedia
Watson's Hotel, currently known as the Esplanade Mansion, is India's oldest surviving cast iron
building. It is located in the Kala Ghoda
area of Mumbai
(Bombay). Named after its original owner, John Watson, the building was fabricated in England and constructed on site between 1860 and 1863.
The Hotel was leased on 26 August 1867 for the terms of Nine hundred and ninety nine years at yearly rent of Rupees Ninety two and twelve annas to ABDUL HAQ Known As "SIRDAR DILER JUNG, BAHADUR, C.I.E., SIRDAR DILER UD DUALA, SIRDAR DILER UL MULK, HOME SECRETARY HYDERABAD DECCAN".
The hotel closed in the 1960s. It was later it was subdivided and partitioned into smaller cubicles that were let out on rent as homes and offices. Neglect of the building has resulted decay and, despite its listing as a Grade II–A heritage structure, the building it is now in a dilapidated state.
On 4 June 2009 it was reported in The Daily Telegraph
that the Mumbai housing authority had urged the Grade II–A heritage structure to be evacuated before the onset of the monsoon. The 138-year-old building was registered as being in the "most dilapidated" category of its pre-monsoon survey of dangerous structures.
On 13 June 2010, the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) gave its approval for the 130-year-old structure to be restored. The restoration work will be carried out by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).
, who was also associated with the St Pancras Station in London. The building was fabricated in England from cast iron
components and was assembled and constructed on site. The external cast-iron frame closely resembles other high-profile 19th century buildings such as London's Crystal Palace
. The main façade of the hotel is distinguished by building wide open balconies on each floor that connected the guest rooms, which were built around the atrium
in a courtyard arrangement.
Later on, another indenture was made on the date 22-12-1885, between the trustees of Port Trust of Bombay and Sardar Diler ul Mulk in which land on the Wellington Reclamation Estate in island of Bombay admeasurment of 8129 sq.yrds. was leased by the Sardar Abdul Haq for a term of fifty years from 01-01-1880.
The five-storied structure housed 130 guest rooms, as well as a lobby, restaurant and a bar at the ground level. The hotel also had a 30 by 9 m (98.4 by 29.5 ft) atrium
, originally used as a ballroom
, with a glass skylight. At its peak, Watson's hotel employed English waitresses in its restaurant and ballroom, inspiring a common joke at the time: "If only Watson had imported the English weather as well."
After Watson's death, the hotel lost its popularity to the rival Taj Hotel
. In the 1960s the hotel was closed. Sometime after this, it was subdivided and partitioned into small cubicles with independent access and let out on rent. Over the years, apathy toward the building by the residents has resulted the building decaying, and it is now in a dilapidated state. The atrium was subsequently used as a dumping ground and has several illegal constructions. , building had 53 families and 97 commercial establishments. Most of the commercial establishments are chambers of lawyer
s attached to the adjacent Bombay Civil & Session Courts and the nearby Bombay High Court
.
, who wrote about the city's crows he saw outside his balcony in Following the Equator
. It was also the first place in India to screen the Lumière Brothers' Cinematographe
invention in 1896. However this was witnessed only by Europeans.
A popular myth surround the hotel was that the staff at Watson's Hotel denied Indian industrialist Jamsetji Tata
access to the hotel. In retaliation he opened the Taj Hotel
, a hotel that stands near the Gateway of India
, in 1903. However, author and historian Sharada Dwivedi
debunks this legend. She points out a lack of evidence to prove that Tata was a man of vengeance.
, and as a result of his efforts, the building was listed in June 2005 on the list of "100 World Endangered Monuments" by the World Monuments Fund
, a New York-based NGO
. Just a few days after its nomination, part of the building's western façade, originally balconies developed into small offices, collapsed, killing one person and crushing several cars and motorcycles parked in the street below. The building is currently listed as a Grade II–A heritage structure.
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
building. It is located in the Kala Ghoda
Kala Ghoda
Kala Ghoda is a precinct or district in South Mumbai, India.The name means Black Horse, a reference to a black stone statue of King Edward VII mounted on a horse. It was built by the Jewish businessman and philanthropist [Albert Abdullah David Sassoon]...
area of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(Bombay). Named after its original owner, John Watson, the building was fabricated in England and constructed on site between 1860 and 1863.
The Hotel was leased on 26 August 1867 for the terms of Nine hundred and ninety nine years at yearly rent of Rupees Ninety two and twelve annas to ABDUL HAQ Known As "SIRDAR DILER JUNG, BAHADUR, C.I.E., SIRDAR DILER UD DUALA, SIRDAR DILER UL MULK, HOME SECRETARY HYDERABAD DECCAN".
The hotel closed in the 1960s. It was later it was subdivided and partitioned into smaller cubicles that were let out on rent as homes and offices. Neglect of the building has resulted decay and, despite its listing as a Grade II–A heritage structure, the building it is now in a dilapidated state.
On 4 June 2009 it was reported in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
that the Mumbai housing authority had urged the Grade II–A heritage structure to be evacuated before the onset of the monsoon. The 138-year-old building was registered as being in the "most dilapidated" category of its pre-monsoon survey of dangerous structures.
On 13 June 2010, the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) gave its approval for the 130-year-old structure to be restored. The restoration work will be carried out by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).
Design
Watson's hotel was designed by the civil engineer Rowland Mason OrdishRowland Mason Ordish
Rowland Mason Ordish was an English engineer. He is most noted for his design of the Winter Garden, Dublin 1865 Albert Bridge, a crossing of the River Thames in London, completed in 1873, and for his detailed work on the single-span roof of London's St Pancras railway station.William Henry Le...
, who was also associated with the St Pancras Station in London. The building was fabricated in England from cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
components and was assembled and constructed on site. The external cast-iron frame closely resembles other high-profile 19th century buildings such as London's Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
. The main façade of the hotel is distinguished by building wide open balconies on each floor that connected the guest rooms, which were built around the atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
in a courtyard arrangement.
History
John Watson opened the hotel as an exclusive whites-only hotel, and it was the swankiest hotel in the city in those days. Then it was handed over to Hannah Maria Watson, by then the Secretary of State for India, wherein she entered into a lease deed with Sardar Abdul Haq,Diler ul Mulk,Diler ul Daula, for a term of nine hundred and ninety nine years on 26 August 1867.Later on, another indenture was made on the date 22-12-1885, between the trustees of Port Trust of Bombay and Sardar Diler ul Mulk in which land on the Wellington Reclamation Estate in island of Bombay admeasurment of 8129 sq.yrds. was leased by the Sardar Abdul Haq for a term of fifty years from 01-01-1880.
The five-storied structure housed 130 guest rooms, as well as a lobby, restaurant and a bar at the ground level. The hotel also had a 30 by 9 m (98.4 by 29.5 ft) atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
, originally used as a ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
, with a glass skylight. At its peak, Watson's hotel employed English waitresses in its restaurant and ballroom, inspiring a common joke at the time: "If only Watson had imported the English weather as well."
After Watson's death, the hotel lost its popularity to the rival Taj Hotel
Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower is a five-star hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, next to the Gateway of India. Part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, this building is considered the flagship property of the group and contains 565 rooms...
. In the 1960s the hotel was closed. Sometime after this, it was subdivided and partitioned into small cubicles with independent access and let out on rent. Over the years, apathy toward the building by the residents has resulted the building decaying, and it is now in a dilapidated state. The atrium was subsequently used as a dumping ground and has several illegal constructions. , building had 53 families and 97 commercial establishments. Most of the commercial establishments are chambers of lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s attached to the adjacent Bombay Civil & Session Courts and the nearby Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court at Mumbai, Maharashtra, is the High Court of India with jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra & Goa, and, the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli...
.
Notable guests
Among the hotel's notable guests was Mark TwainMark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
, who wrote about the city's crows he saw outside his balcony in Following the Equator
Following the Equator
Following the Equator or More Tramps Abroad is a non-fiction travelogue published by American author Mark Twain in 1897....
. It was also the first place in India to screen the Lumière Brothers' Cinematographe
Cinematographe
A cinematograph is a film camera, which also serves as a film projector and developer. It was invented in the 1890s.Note that this was not the first 'moving picture' device. Louis Le Prince had built early devices in 1886. His 1888 film Roundhay Garden Scene still survives.There is much dispute as...
invention in 1896. However this was witnessed only by Europeans.
A popular myth surround the hotel was that the staff at Watson's Hotel denied Indian industrialist Jamsetji Tata
Jamsetji Tata
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata was an Indian entrepreneur and industrialist, prominent for his pioneering work in Indian industry. He was born to a Parsi family in Navsari, Gujarat, India....
access to the hotel. In retaliation he opened the Taj Hotel
Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower is a five-star hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, next to the Gateway of India. Part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, this building is considered the flagship property of the group and contains 565 rooms...
, a hotel that stands near the Gateway of India
Gateway of India
Its design is a combination of both Hindu and Muslim architectural styles, the arch is in Muslim style while the decorations are in Hindu style. The Gateway is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete. The stone was locally obtained, and the perforated screens were brought from Gwalior.The...
, in 1903. However, author and historian Sharada Dwivedi
Sharada Dwivedi
Sharada Dwivedi is a Mumbai-based historian and researcher. She has authored several books on the history and culture of Mumbai . She is also on the panel on the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee...
debunks this legend. She points out a lack of evidence to prove that Tata was a man of vengeance.
Current state
The building's poor state of affairs has been commonly remarked, and efforts by heritage activists to persuade its present owner to invest in restoration have been unsuccessful. One of the possible reasons proffered for apathy is the fact that the rent collected is low as it has been frozen by government legislation. The condition of the building was publicized by Italian architect Renzo PianoRenzo Piano
Renzo Piano is an Italian architect. He is the recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, AIA Gold Medal, Kyoto Prize and the Sonning Prize...
, and as a result of his efforts, the building was listed in June 2005 on the list of "100 World Endangered Monuments" by the World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training....
, a New York-based NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
. Just a few days after its nomination, part of the building's western façade, originally balconies developed into small offices, collapsed, killing one person and crushing several cars and motorcycles parked in the street below. The building is currently listed as a Grade II–A heritage structure.