Growel's 101 Mall – A Touch of Europe in Kandivali

Mumbai has no shortage of shopping malls. Growel's 101 in Kandivali, however, looks a little different from most of them.

Located off the Western Express Highway in Kandivali East, the mall opened in 2010. Spread across roughly seven lakh square feet, it was designed with inspiration from European hill towns.

And the European influence is quite easy to notice.

Arches, colonnades, stone-finished walkways, open plazas and colourful façades give parts of the mall the appearance of an old European street rather than a conventional enclosed shopping centre.

That, for me, is the most interesting part of Growel's 101.

More About the Setting Than the Shops

The mall has the usual mix of fashion stores, restaurants, a food court, entertainment facilities and a multiplex.

But if shopping alone is the objective, Mumbai has much larger malls with a wider range of choices.

Growel's 101 works differently.

Here, I found myself noticing the spaces between the shops as much as the shops themselves.

The pedestrian-style passages open into small plazas. Some sections have façades designed to resemble buildings lining a European street. The arches and columns continue the theme, while the open spaces prevent the mall from feeling completely enclosed.

These plazas are also used for seasonal celebrations, exhibitions and community events, which add another dimension to the place.

A Different Mall Experience

It would perhaps be too much to visit Kandivali only to see the architecture of a shopping mall.

But if you are already in this part of Mumbai, Growel's 101 is worth noticing.

Do not just look at the shops.

Look at the arches.

Walk through the open plazas.

Look up at the façades.

For a short while, a shopping mall in suburban Mumbai tries to look like a street somewhere in Europe.

And surprisingly, parts of it succeed.

Happy travelling.