Mesh balcony, Mumbai

Many Mumbai apartments have no balcony. The usual answer is an MS grill, a jali fixed outside the window, which is secure but looks like a cage and rusts in the monsoon. In this high-rise home, the aim was an open space outside the window instead: somewhere to sit, lie down and look out, that makes a small flat feel bigger. Acier designed, supplied and installed the steel frame and the mesh in 2022.

The structure projects outside the building at height, so it must be strong, well fixed and safe for people. The base has to carry someone sitting or lying on it, and the sides must stop falls. It has to resist wind, sea air and monsoon rain without rusting, let in light, air and the view, and be fabricated to fit an existing opening exactly. All of it was installed at height on an occupied building, with limited access.

The frame is fabricated from AISI 316 stainless pipe. AISI 316 is the marine grade of stainless steel, suited to Mumbai's salt air and humidity, and it needs no painting. The mesh is laced to the frame, so the load spreads along its edges.

Two mesh sizes do two jobs. The horizontal base is Jakob Webnet in Ø2 mm rope with a 40 mm mesh width: a close, springy surface that supports a person sitting or lying on it, like a net hammock. The sides use the same rope with a 60 mm mesh, open enough to keep the view and the breeze while forming a safe barrier. Installation took about a week.

The flat gains a usable space outside the window, in a stainless enclosure that does not need painting and stays open to light and air. It feels lighter and more open than an MS grill, which matters most in a small home. For the many Mumbai apartments with grills, it shows a lighter, longer-lasting alternative.