UNESCO award

"It is always a proud moment to see international recognition and (it) raises hope (that) conservation can work in the world of redevelopment locally,” conservation architect Vikas Dilawari told Mid-Day (MD) of September 2, 2016, referring to the restored and renovated Cama Building in Murzban Colony. Part of the 24-building housing complex located in Bombay Central, Cama Building received an Award of Merit in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation list announced the previous day. The project, which was financed entirely by the Garib Zarthostiona Rehthan Fund (GZRF) at no cost to the long-time tenants, is "a fantastic model of preserving the city’s social fabric with affordable housing built for ordinary citizens,” reported MD. The work was done employing a "physically and culturally sensitive approach, salvaging original fabric and retaining the building’s original architectural character,” the tabloid noted.

Restored Cama Building in Murzban Colony, Bombay Central

"There is a tendency in the public to think that charity housing can be left to rot,” GZRF president and secretary Muncherji Cama informed MD on September 11, adding, "we want residents to take pride in their surroundings.” Dilawari feels that "the existing lifestyle of the residents is a living tradition which is to be retained… By recognizing Cama Building internationally, UNESCO is trying to promote a philosophy, that redevelopment of buildings like these into high-rises is not the only solution.”
The greatest challenge was that residents remained in situ while the work was being carried out as they were wary of being moved to transit camps lest they lose their premises. Interiors were repaired only when they allowed workers into their homes, reported MD.
As Parsiana had reported earlier (see "Recognition for restoration,” May 7, 2014), "The phased repair and restoration work of the over 100-year-old GZRF buildings has earned international recognition for two successive years. In 2013, one of the buildings at Murzban Colony (also known as the Lal Chimney Compound, although there is no longer any Red Chimney in the vicinity) was among the winners of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation… The previous year when the Sethna Buildings on Wadia Street in Tardeo, also under the purview of GZRF, were restored, they earned the 2012 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation.”