The Kekee Manzil lies in the heart of Mumbai, where the land meets the sea. This house at the end of Bandra Bandstand quietly looks out at the sea. Dwarfed by the highrises and the fencing around the neighboring villa, Kekee Manzil is an iconic stone structure, intricately laid out in wood. Today, two generations after Kekoo Gandhy, the Gandhy family wanted to restore parts of the Kekee Manzil. As much as they wanted the change, they wanted the identity of the iconic house preserved.
Inspirations:
- The Sea as an Expression
The Kekee Manzil sits right along the shoreline of the Arabian Sea. The sea has thus been tried to be expressed through the house, visually and tectonically. The patterns used in the terrace are inspired by the waves of the sea.
- Barnett Newman
The house draws inspiration from the paintings of Barnett Newman. Painter and theorist, he was one of the most intellectual artists of the New York School. He shared the abstract expressionists’ interest in myth and the primitive unconscious, but the huge fields of colour and trademark ‘zips’ in his pictures set him apart from the gestural abstraction of many of his peers. Indeed, the rich and vibrant colours create a sense of tranquility in the artwork and the ‘zip’ reaches out to the viewer as a spark of freshness in the mist of the deep serene canvas.
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Typology: Residential
Area: 2618 sq.ft
