New Palace, Morbi

The New Palace in Morbi, Gujarat, is a historic Art Deco residence commissioned by Mahendrasinhji Lakhdiraji for his own use. He gave the design in 1931 to Kumar Ramsinh, trained at the Architectural Association and the second Indian to become a partner in Gregson, Batley and King. Shapoorji Pallonji carried out the work, and building and furnishing lasted until 1944.

The outside is pink plaster, with horizontal lines and curved corners. Inside are a lounge with booths for dining, two bars whose cushioned stools are triple-decker, a gym, a swimming pool, and a library with walnut panelling and a fireplace. Furniture was bought from a firm on Tottenham Court Road in London. The Polish artist Stefan Norblin was brought in to paint the interiors, and his murals and canvases show hunting scenes, Shiva in prayer, ancestors of the patron, and the local plants and animals.