Film City Tower: Architecture competition launched for Bollywood landmark building as Mumbai takes on LA
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
Designs are being sought for a large-scale cultural landmark celebrating the Indian film industry in Mumbai.
Competition organiser Archasm is embarking on a mission to “put Bollywood on the global map” by organising a design contest for a “vertical Film City tower” which will emulate Los Angeles’ film industry neighbourhood and the iconic Hollywood sign.
“The film industry in Mumbai is scattered and too low profile to match the cult status enjoyed by Hollywood, despite enjoying equivalent popularity in the Indian context,” said Archasm in a statement. “It has always lacked a uniformly grand and iconic area, so its prominence and presence among the general people is almost anonymous.”
The firm would like to change that with its dream for a huge tower located on Mumbai's Mahim Bay island which will be a larger draw for visitors than the city’s current Bollywood-based destinations.
The “cultural city in the sky” would host a variety of functions for both Bollywood studios and the public, including acting schools, theatres, studio space, film sets, film museums, cafes and hotels.
The deadline for competition submissions has now passed and organisers will announce a winner on 12 March 2016. Entrants were invited to suggest their own responsive, adaptive and energy-efficient designs for the space ‘to increase the commercial, social and ethical viability of the facilities and to change the Mumbai skyline”.
The announcement of the top three winners will be made on 12 March 2016. The first-placed team will be awarded 1m rupees (US$14,500, €13,100, £10,000)
A separate scheme to build a Bollywood tourist attraction is currently underway on a 1.7sq km site in the nearby town of Kalyan. Meanwhile, a Bollywood theme park is being built in Dubai as part of the ongoing AED10bn (US$2.7bn, €2.4bn, £1.8bn) Dubai Parks and Resorts development.
Bollywood Mumbai competition architecture design film film city tower Hollywood tourism
Competition organisers Archasm envision a Bollywood landmark that can rival the famous Hollywood sign Credit: Shutterstock
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Designs are being sought for a large-scale cultural landmark celebrating the Indian film industry in Mumbai. Competition organiser Archasm is embarking on a mission to “put Bollywood on the global map” by organising a design contest for a “vertical Film City tower” which will emulate Los Angeles’ film industry neighbourhood and the iconic Hollywood sign. “The film industry in Mumbai is scattered and too low profile to match the cult
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