Named after Adi Pherozeshah Marzban (1914–87), Adi Marzban Path is where the office of Jam-e-Jamshed (Marzban was its editor) originally stood. Asia’s second oldest running newspaper, Jam-e-Jamshed was launched in 1832, by Adi's great-grandfather, Fardoonjee Marzban. A doyen of Parsi theatre, Adi Marzban was awarded the Padma Shri in 1964.
The maritime nature of the Port House (Old Bombay Port Trust Building) is highlighted by the presence of medieval ships projecting from the wall on the upper level of the porch. Two ships jut out of the wall, only half of their length visible. Both feature a figurehead of a winged angel attached to the bow (the forward-most part of the ship).
A triple-arched projecting porch at Port House (Old Bombay Port Trust building). The semi-circular arches have projecting imposts and prominent keystones, the central arch being wider than the ones on the sides. The use of gray ashlar masonry blocks and brown sandstone accents provide strong color contrast.
Lettering at the Kaisar-i-Hind building that houses the Enforcement Directorate. The ornamental pilasters on either side are of the Tuscan order (the plain shaft that rests on an unadorned base and has a simple capital). The metal grille on the lintel has a swastika on a circular base. Similar swastikas also appear on the windows of the building.
Ballard Estate was named after John Archibald Ballard, founder of Bombay Port Trust (now Mumbai Port Trust), which was established as a corporation on 26 June 1873. The present-day docks were first built in the 1870s by the Bombay Port Trust and further expanded in phases on reclaimed land.
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 resulted in shorter travel time from India to Europe, revolutionizing the maritime trade in India. Improved connectivity also brought more European tourists to Mumbai, and they stayed at the Grand Hotel, located close to Ballard Pier, from where ships disembarked passengers.
Located on a corner plot, the Grand Hotel has a round edge with a circular tower on top. The hotel was designed by George Wittet, one of the prime architects of Mumbai, who designed several landmarks in the city, like the Prince of Wales Museum, Gateway of India, Wadia Maternity Hospital, Institute of Science, and many buildings in Ballard Estate.
Lettering over canopy and entrance at the Grand Hotel. The hotel was the most sought-after accommodation and dining place in Mumbai and opened in 1923. At the time, it was one of only two hotels in Ballard Estate (Regent Hotel was the other), developed primarily as a business and commercial district.
The land on which Construction House stands was lying vacant till 1936 when the plot was acquired by the Walchand Group. Because it came up more than two decades after Ballard Estate was developed, Construction House has a contrasting look, inspired more by the Art Deco style of the late 1930s than the Edwardian Baroque of the early 20th century.