The Prince of Wales Museum

[Image] Designed by George Wittet, the foundation stone was laid in 1905 by the visiting Prince of Wales. The building was completed in 1914, converted to a military hospital during World War I, and finally opened in 1923 by Lady Lloyd, the wife of Sir George Lloyd, then governor.

[Image] Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, the facing is done in yellow and blue stones quarried from the Bombay region. The dome is modelled after the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, as is the dome of the General Post Office. It incorporates a variety of details from different Indian styles-- small bulbous cupolas on towers, Saracenic arches with Muslim jalis as fillers, semi-open verandahs and Rajput jharokhas.

The dome was designed consciously to add to the variety of the skyline and to provide a landmark at ground level. As one came down the Colaba Causeway, this dome would have dominated the skyline until the '70s. Now, the tower of the stock exchange looms high behind it.