The Esplanade Mansion, formerly known as Watson’s Hotel, stands out as a five-story building with a distinctive, skeletal cast-iron frame that was prefabricated in England and shipped to Mumbai in the late eighteen sixties. Completed in eighteen sixty-nine, it holds the distinction of being the oldest surviving cast-iron structure in India. While the surrounding neighborhood evolved with stone and gothic architecture, this building utilized its iron frame to support large balconies and lightwells, creating a layout that was unique for its time.
Watson's Hotel
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