Mumbai: Work on multimedia fountain at Textile Museum set to begin

Textile museum building at Kalachowkie

After months of planning, the civic body is now set to start work on the swanky multimedia fountain as part of the city's first heritage textile museum at Kalachowkie. After getting the approval of the standing committee on the project last week, the contractor appointed by the Heritage Department will start working on the design and content that will be displayed on the multimedia fountain and will also start constructing the electricity sub-station and the control room near the lake next month.

Civic officials said that the design and content will be finalised and approved by the expert committee within the next three months. "Once the content has the approval, the fountain will be installed within nine months. The multimedia fountain is part of phase I of the project and once the work is complete, it'll be opened to the general public next year," said an official from the Heritage Department.

The expert panel includes Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the director general of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Firoz Jena, CEO of Clancy Global, Shashank Tere, a production designer, Rajiv Mishra principal of J.J School of Art and Architecture and member of the Mumbai Heritage and Conservation Committee. Other civic officials including the municipal architect will also be part of the panel.

The official added that in the meantime, the contractor will start work on other aspects of the project. "We are waiting for the lake level to reduce so that we can start work on the foundation for the control panel room. We will construct a lining for the lake measuring 45 metres by 50 metres. After that the work on the fountain can begin," he said. He added that the letter of intent for the project was issued to the contractor on September 10.

The textile museum project aims to showcase the history of girni kamgars [mill workers] and of the textile industry in the city. Officials from the heritage department claim that this multimedia fountain will be the first of its kind in India and will have 360-degree nozzles. As part of the tender, the contractor will have to appoint a music director and script director to develop original video content.

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