Changing the Market in Mumbai: the Island City Center 

By Luke Carothers

Located on several acres in the heart of Mumbai, the Island City Center (ICC) is a mixed-use development that provides luxury residences in two stunning skyscrapers.  Wrapped in glass facades, these skyscrapers are situated amongst open green spaces and carefully planned amenities.  The ICC Towers development is nearing completion as it finishes the final stages of testing and commissioning.  As the initial project nears completion, plans are being made for two additional towers in the near future. 

The scale and design of the ICC Towers required 17 consultants and 10 specialized contractors.  One of the teams working on the project since 2015 is Hill International, who served as Project Manager for the ICC Towers project in Mumbai.  According to Said Mneimne, VP at Hill International, their work has been “crucial in delivering the project” in delivering the project.  From the initial stages of reviewing, testing, and commissioning the design with the architects to handing the final project over from the general contractor, Hill International has served as the single point of contact for the project–connecting the owner and all stakeholders.  Mneimne says they relied upon an effective design review management process that allowed them to consult with the client and advise them accordingly.  Hill’s experience helped the project move from an idea, through the pandemic, to the nearly completed project today.  

To create these two massive skyscrapers, crews have used more than 156,000 cubic meters of reinforced concrete and framed glass facades of more than 88,000 square meters.  These details make the new ICC Towers development an example of luxury that can be possible in Mumbai.  According to Mneimne, achieving this level of luxury is a testament to the development of India and Mumbai’s construction industry.  The attention to detail and sophistication are indicative of high level design and construction methodology.  According to Mneimne, coordination between the different parties was critical. With a full glass facade design, accuracy was critical as the design allowed minimal tolerance in the installation of brackets.  These advancements are also reflected in the project staying within its budget and maintaining a steady schedule despite the tumult of the last few years.  

When the ICC project was initially developed, the construction budget was already substantial, and any significant changes to the schedule or design had a chance to severely inflate it.  Mneimne says that, despite these challenges, the project was able to stay within budget with no cost overrun by “anchoring the general contractor during turbulent times.”  Indeed, the project schedule did conflict with turbulent times, as the world shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Challenges stemming from the pandemic as well as changes and improvements in design caused the original baseline schedule to extend almost 3 years, which is a short period of time considering the scope of the project and technical challenges it faced.  

Mneimne notes that coordination between the stakeholders and technical consultants became more important with the outbreak of the pandemic, and presented logistical challenges to the workforce.  However, work was still able to be completed, and an emphasis on communication between the various parties meant that the work being done was to proper specification.  The ICC Towers project in Mumbai was also significant in that it achieved more than 31.3 million safe working hours, which warranted it a Vishwakarma Award for best safety implementation.

With plans to expand the ICC Towers project in the future, it is clear that the original concept has made an impression on the luxury residential market in Mumbai.  Despite technical challenges and world-changing events, this high budget project remained within its original cost, and experienced relatively minimal delays.  The success of this project is indicative of both a changing market within Mumbai and Hill International’s experience thriving in such environments.

Luke Carothers is the Editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Media. If you want us to cover your project or want to feature your own article, he can be reached at lcarothers@zweiggroup.com.