In the heart of Mumbai’s historic Ballard Estate, a 140-year-old ice factory has been reborn — not as a relic, but as a living space of imagination and interaction.
▼ The Ice Factory after renovation
▼ Surrounding a large Banyan tree
▼ Surrounding a large Banyan tree
▼ The roof after renovation
Ambico Ice Factory, once an industrial cornerstone, is now reimagined by Malik Architecture as IF.BE (Ice Factory Ballard Estate) — a vibrant ecosystem where art, performance, gathering, food, and design converge beneath a centuries-old banyan tree.
▼Context
But this transformation didn’t happen overnight.
Decades of wear, improvised additions, and structural decay required a process more akin to architectural archaeology. Over four months, layers of time were gently peeled back. Historic brickwork emerged. Lost Burma teak beams were uncovered. Sagging roofs and walls were stabilized through surgical precision and respect for the old.
▼Renovation strategy
IF.BE represents more than restoration. It is a delicate dialogue between the “Found” and the “Made” — a space that honors memory while embracing new possibilities. A courtyard once cluttered with temporary structures now breathes again, open to art, ideas, and human connection.
