Animal figures feature extensively on the BMC building. They are often camouflaged within the dense floral motifs on pillar capitals. The animals are found in Mumbai and provide an important local context to the buildings, representing the ecological diversity of the region. They include squirrels, owls, herons, monkeys, snakes, peacocks, rats and other animals.
Frederick Stevens incorporated a double dome inside the main tower of the BMC building. The outer dome is visible from the street, but the inner dome is visible only from the entrance hall when the visitor looks up. The inner dome was inspired by the Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur. However, spanning just 45 feet in diameter, the inner dome is much smaller in scale compared to the Gol Gumbaz, which is the largest unsupported dome in India.
Though they are mistaken as lions, the 'lions' at the BMC building are chimeras—a mix of various animals—hence they appear with wings and a serpentine tail. The chimera has been attributed to the British dominance over land, sea and air. However, it is more likely that the motif was inspired from the flag of the Republic of Venice, which featured winged lions, one of the many elements Frederick W. Stevens incorporated from Venetian Gothic architecture.
The entrance lobby is a confluence of raw materials used in construction of the BMC building. The doorways are flanked by marble colonnettes with decorative floral capitals. In addition to iron gates, a variety of security systems are now installed here. Nowadays, this is the entrance through which visitors are screened and allowed inside the building.
Gargoyles are another design element Frederick W. Stevens incorporated from Venetian Gothic architecture. Gargoyles, chimeras and griffons became very popular motifs in cathedrals, churches and castles in the Middle Ages in Europe. In Mumbai, they appear extensively in many of Stevens’ buildings, notably more at CSMT. At the BMC building, they are used sparingly, perched on top of turrets.
The foundation stone for the BMC building was laid on December 19,1884, by the Viceroy, the Marquis of Ripon. The commemorative plaque can be seen inside the BMC building at the entrance lobby. However, work on the site started five years later, on April 25, 1889. After four years of construction, BMC building was finally completed on July 31, 1893.
Frederick W. Stevens designed the CSMT and BMC buildings within a decade of each other. As a result, both buildings have common features, design elements and building materials. Stevens described his building style as ‘...a free treatment of early Gothic with an Oriental feeling, which, I consider, the best adapted for the site the buildings are to occupy.’
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), also known as Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai or Bombay Municipal Corporation, is India's richest municipal corporation and responsible for developing and maintaining the civic infrastructure of the city and tax collection. It was established with the passing of the Bombay Municipal Corporation Act in 1888. The headquarters are based at the BMC building which also feature (along with the Gateway of India) on the seal of the corporation.
Frederick W. Stevens used allegorical figures to represent concepts like progress and prosperity. This, for example, is a Christian motif of a winged angel holding up a miniature ship to highlight Mumbai's association with maritime trade. The allegoric figure represented is urbs primus in Indis (Latin for the ‘primary urban city of India’), which was adapted as the motto of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
The coat-of-arms of the Brihanmumbai Mahanagarpalika (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) is prominently displayed on the facade of the BMC building. It is a four-panel shield surmounted by a heraldic lion and a blooming lotus at the base. The Sanskrit motto यतो धर्मस्ततो जय: Yato Dharmas Tato Jayaḥ (Where there is Righteousness, there shall be Victory) is inscribed in gold at the bottom.