Kolkata's Art Deco: Miami's Twin for Tourism?

Kolkata is home to an extensive collection of over 400 Art Deco buildings, a testament to the city's architectural past between the mid-1920s and mid-1950s. These structures represent a crucial period where Kolkata navigated modernity through periods of both affluence and hardship, reflecting changing lifestyles and a cosmopolitan identity. Experts are advocating for the preservation and adaptive reuse of these Art Deco sites, drawing parallels with Miami's successful heritage tourism model. The city's Art Deco inventory is considered significant within India and holds potential for global recognition.

These buildings offer more than just visual appeal; they narrate Kolkata's urban history and its engagement with international design trends while expressing local tastes. The Art Deco style symbolized progress through new materials and construction methods, contrasting with earlier colonial architecture. Its intersection with evolving patterns of leisure and consumption, particularly in entertainment and retail, projected glamour and novelty. Harnessing this heritage could transform Kolkata's cultural landscape, attracting architecture enthusiasts, researchers, and tourists, thereby boosting the local economy.