David Sassoon Library is situated at
Kala Ghoda in
Mumbai. One of the numerous historic buildings dotting the skyline of Mumbai, this building is noted for its distinct architecture. It is named after David Sassoon, a philanthropist who bore the major portion of the construction cost.
David Sassoon Library was designed by architects named J Campbell and D E Gosling. Built in 1870, it was presented to the city by Sir Albert Sassoon, David Sasson’s son. This three-storeyed yellow stone building has a distinct Roman feel to it. The central tower and the corner turrets give this building the appearance of a church. The columns are made from Black-Trap stone and texturing is done using random rubble masonry. The facade in the ground floor features some pointed arches embellished with alternating black and white stripes. The entrance hall boasts of exquisite multi-colored Minton floor tiles. A white stone head of David Sassoon situated above the hall greets everyone. There is a winding wooden staircase connecting to the first floor. Behind the building is a beautiful garden.
Another important building in the vicinity is the Elphinstone College, which is noted for its architectural splendor.
A public library and reading room, it houses over 40,000 valuable books on all subjects in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi. It also has newspapers and magazines. Other facilities include resting room, terrace and garden.
