Mumbai police embrace modern architecture

When the brand new Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) police station is inaugurated next week, it is certainly going to create a stir, not just among the police fraternity but among architects and designers who would have to think in terms of creating more people-friendly public places.

If an intimidating, oppressive and even hostile atmosphere is said to prevail in most police stations, the BKC will undoubtedly set a new path of breaking such long-held traditions.

So much so, a visitor to the upcoming police station could get confused as to whether one has entered the portals of an art museum when confronted by a colourful large mural on a wall even as a small courtyard of greenery takes shape under a fibreglass skylight.

"Our motive was to make this police station a people-friendly one and open to the surrounding landscape rather than have a cloistered ambience," says Sudhir Diwan, architect and interior designer, who also says he has derived 100 per cent satisfaction in visualising something that ordinary people would feel comfortable.

Says associate architect, Sunil Dutt: "It was a question of linking the interior with the exterior and that is why we have used a large glass curtain 'walling' that dominates the architectural styles of most of the buildings in this complex."

Located in the heart of Mumbai's future and preferred business centre for several major Indian companies, financial institutions and multinationals, the BKC police station is part of Mumbai Police's plans for modernisation.

In this predominantly commercial complex where corporates have had a free hand to build their headquarters in line with contemporary architecture, the police, with all their financial constraints, had similar dreams.

And so, a requisition was sent to the government to get private funds to build a police station that was in line with a corporate feel, Ajendra Thakur, Senior Police Inspector of the nearby Kherwadi police station told Gulf News.

Along with senior Zone 10 Deputy Commissioner of Police Bipin Bihari, Thakur took the initiative to collect funds while most of the corporate bodies and other residents of the complex came forward willingly.

"In an age where everyone is security conscious, we have set up a 24-hour closed circuit TV that is connected to all the corporate offices which also have their own security," says Darryl D'Souza, Senior Inspector, who is set to take charge when the BKS opens on December 26.

Occupying an area of 45,000 sq ft, this police station is claimed by the police as the largest in India, perhaps in Asia.

Separate offices of the additional and deputy commissioners of police, a large conference room, four floors of guest rooms for visiting Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and an expensive interior of solar-reflecting glasses, recessed windows, winding marble staircases, modular furniture and so on could work out to more than Rs50 million.

Contributions, says Thakur, have come from corporate residents like the Reliance Group, Citibank, ICICI Bank, Nabard Bank, National Stock Exchange, the American School, Bank of India, ILFS, Dewan Housing and Maker Towers, along with the MPs' funds from actor Sunil Dutt of the Congress party and Sanjay Nirupam of Shiv Sena.

With the diamond bourse also under construction, "we expect several complaints regarding economic offences," says Thakur.