Between the 1930s and 1940s, a new style slipped into Delhi’s streets. Art Deco appeared in homes, offices, and towers. Many of these structures still stand, unnoticed, preserving a lesser-known chapter of the city’s past.
Tucked inside Chandni Chowk’s crowded lanes, Shankar Terrace carries the clean curves and stepped lines of early Art Deco. Built in 1936 as a commercial complex, it continues to stand.
Standing over Sabzi Mandi since the late 1930s, this clock tower was commissioned by Lala Ram Roop. Its Deco bands still shape the tower.
Built around 1941 on Netaji Subhash Marg, Shyam Bhawan carries Art Deco features like stepped forms and clean geometric patterns. Today, shopfronts and signboards cover much of it.
Built for the Maharaja of Faridkot just before Independence, this Copernicus Marg residence followed the Streamline Moderne style, known for smooth curves, long horizontal lines and a sense of motion.
The Maharaja of Dholpur built this graceful house near India Gate in the 1920s. Today, it is the headquarters of the Union Public Service Commission.
Arvind Cottage in Kamla Nagar was completed in 1954 and showcases classic Art Deco features such as curved balconies, eyebrow sunshades, and patterned window grills. Today, it functions as a girls’ hostel.
Built in the 1940s by Mohinder Singh, this Art Deco home features two curved staircase towers and patterned jaali screens at its entrance. It now functions as a CGHS dispensary.
These buildings tell a different story of Delhi, one that believes in modern lines and bold design.