• Historical Background: The Bharat Diamond Bourse project originated in the late 1980s/early 1990s, with architect Balkrishna Doshi selected via competition. Doshi’s design drew inspiration from Mumbai’s “Fort” bastion and the city’s seven islands, using a “fingers in sand” metaphor to reflect diamond-like rock formations and Hindu/Jain philosophical contrasts (material vs. void).

• Architectural Legacy: Doshi’s Phase I buildings feature 45-degree rotations for optimal natural light (north-facing) and lease-depth efficiency, echoing Le Corbusier’s heliothermic principles.

Design Philosophy: “Crowning the Jewel” – Merging Eastern values with Western efficiencies while respecting Doshi’s original vision.

Key Features:

1. Completion of Courtyards:

   • Transparent rectangular buildings inserted into voids, emphasizing openness (“nothingness”) and tenant flexibility (9–12m lease depths).

   • New cores/services aligned with existing “finger” structures to maintain conceptual clarity and human flow.

2. Sustainable Innovations:

   • Hanging Gardens: Elevated every 4–5 floors as sun-shading devices, stack-effect promoters, and oxygenators, irrigated by mechanical system runoff.

   • Central Atrium: Stack-effect ventilation with garden balconies for natural airflow (humidity-permitting).

3. Aesthetic & Functional Harmony:

   • Angular rhythms and structural grids preserved to unify Phase II with Phase I.

   • Gardens as metaphorical and environmental assets, visually accessible to all tenants.

Core Principles:

• Simplicity in form, powerful visual impact.

• Blending traditional Eastern values with modern efficiencies.

Principal Designer: Cyrus Subawalla

Project Principal: Sangwan Seo

Building Type: Corporate (Diamond Bourse)

Location: Mumbai, India

Site Area: 850,000 sf

Project Area: 1,700,000 sf

Client: Bharat Diamond Bourse

Status: On hold

Recognition: Winner of invited design competition among 10 national/international firms.

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