Iconic Air India Logo Dismantled From 23-Storey Mumbai Building by PWD Workers
The iconic 38-feet by 24-feet Air India logo atop the 23-storey Air India building in Mumbai was dismantled on Wednesday following a week-long operation. A team of 10 workers from the Public Works Department broke down the signage into 40 parts while braving intermittent rain and strong winds blowing off the Arabian Sea. The logo, made of perforated aluminium sheets designed to let wind pass through, was taken down to prepare the structure to house Maharashtra state government offices.
Pradnya Walke, chief engineer of the PWD’s Mumbai division, stated that the department took possession of the building on June 2 and will soon float a tender for its renovation. Walke noted that removing the signage posed significant safety challenges because the rooftop area where it stood lacked a parapet wall. The workers wore safety harnesses and helmets throughout the operation to mitigate risks caused by the severe coastal gusts.
A worker involved in the operation said the wind speeds were intense enough that the team had to take extreme precautions despite wearing safety harnesses. The crew also had to ensure that no disassembled parts of the structure slipped and fell onto the roadway below.
To replace the signage, the PWD’s Mumbai division commissioned the Sir J J School of Art to create a new design. A PWD official stated that the art institute has already drafted at least 15 options and is developing more. Senior PWD officials will review the proposals before submitting them to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the final decision.
According to Jitendra Bhargava, former executive director of Air India and author of 'Descent of Air India', the original signage in the 1970s featured a revolving Centaur logo, and the landmark building frequently served as a backdrop in Hindi cinema. The dismantled logo was conceptualised when Indian Airlines merged with Air India in 2007. Records show Air India sought permission from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority in 2014, received approval in 2015, and installed the logo in 2017.
Built in 1974, the five-lakh-square-foot structure stands on a 7,512.60-square-metre plot and was designed by architect John Burgee of the New York firm Johnson/Burgee. The site previously survived damage during the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.
