The David Sassoon clock tower is 67 feet high and has four clocks provided with patent opal glass dials, each measuring four feet in diameter. Unlike many other clock towers in Mumbai, which have stopped functioning, the clocks at the David Sassoon clock tower are all in working condition.
The clock tower is built in Neo-Palladian style, named after Andrea Palladio (1508-1580). Palladio was inspired by concepts of symmetry, perspective, and classical forms inspired by ancient Roman and Greek architecture. Hence, Palladian architecture has a resemblance to Italian Renaissance architecture, as a conscious revival was made to incorporate elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture.
Arch and keystone detail with panels of Minto tiles and dressings of Blashfield's terracotta from Stamford, Lincolnshire. The clock tower is built from Porbandar stone, which was used in many public buildings in Mumbai, like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, the Bombay High Court, and Crawford Market.
The apparatus is installed on the upper floor of the clock tower. A wrought iron spiral staircase leads to the upper level of the clock tower. Access to this staircase is now prohibited, and no one can climb up.
The David Sassoon clock tower originally stood outside the gates of Victoria Garden, by the side of the main road, then known as Parel Road (now BR Ambedkar Road). In 1926, during road widening, the clock tower was dismantled brick by brick and reconstructed at its present location. The shifting was done with great sensitivity and care, retaining the earlier alignment.
The name of David Sassoon is inscribed over the arch on the ground floor. He had donated a large sum (₹ 30,000) for building the clock tower. A Baghdadi Jew, David Sassoon (1792–1864) funded many educational institutions in Mumbai. Various charity trusts, that continue to exist today, were funded, by and named after him and other members of the Sassoon family.
The idea for setting up a museum was mooted in 1850 when preparations were underway for the ‘Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations’ to be held at the Crystal Palace in London (1851). The museum was established at Town Hall. With the transfer of power to Queen Victoria (1858), a meeting was called at Town Hall to raise funds for building a new museum.
The ground floor of David Sassoon Clock Tower is 12 sq. ft in area. The square base is open on all sides. The main entry is from the east, through a path leading from Jijamata Udyan. The west-facing entrance is also open. The north and south entrances have balustrades, preventing entry. Pairs of decorative colonettes flank the arched entrances on all sides.
The terracotta keystones on the ground floor arches at the David Sassoon Clock Tower depict the faces of the allegorical figures representing morning, evening, noon, and night, each facing one cardinal direction.