In a city where space has always been an issue, it has taken almost seven years for this idea to turn into an edifice. In 1989, when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi came down for the centenary of the Bombay Art Society, art historian Dr Saryu Doshi and painter Prafulla Dhanukar, a prominent member of the society, had lobbied for it. “It was at the Timeless Art Auction held on the Jawahar Ship that Sharad Pawar announced that the Maharashtra government will donate land in Bandra Reclamation to the project,” says Doshi who was the vice-chairperson of the society. “Though Prafulla and I got the land, we could not develop the land then since the society was a charitable trust and we had no funds.”

After 20 years, the society has roped in Drushti Engineers and Developers to undertake the project. “The builders will get 49 per cent of the building and the remaining 51 per cent will belong to the Bombay Art Society,” says treasurer Chanrajeet Yadav. “The architect, Sanjay Puri, has come up with a sketch.”

A photograph of the conceptual design reveals this is indeed a unique structure. “The building is like a giant sculpture and difficult to construct. It has curvatures and as it grows vertically, it will have to be shaped by a mould we’ve created. The exterior aesthetic will set a benchmark in architectural types,” says Ashok Jagdale, creative head, Drushti. The structure is likely to be completed by April 2010.

The art centre, yet to be named, will be open to all and 3,000 members of Bombay Art Society, and these include eminent artists like M F Husain, Akbar Padamsee and Jehangir Sabavala, to name a few.