The U.S. Consulate General Mumbai inaugurated its new American space, Dosti House, on Wednesday. The audience-centric space has been redesigned and recreated from the former American Library in BKC. “We realised that in Mumbai, space is a real commodity,” says Heidi Hattenbach, the Consulate’s Acting Public Affairs Officer.

The space has been designed keeping the legacy of over 700 American Spaces in 169 countries worldwide. It accommodates a 100-person audience for events, space for self-study and small group work, a language lab, a lounge area for relaxed reading and computer facilities.

Speaking on the renovation of the space, Heidi says, “We had all this space and it was filled with books and what we have done is, we have pushed all the books to the side of the wall and emptied out the space in the middle so that people can come and use this space, for free.”

She adds, “Our space was created to welcome everyone — from our traditional strategic partners to emerging creative artists, from readers of American literature to foreign policy students — in short, anyone who is looking to engage with new ideas, new information and new opportunities.” The library has a collection of 10,000 books, 700 films and 130 periodicals and e-resources.

The Dosti House opening event was marked by a jubilant performance by Dharavi Rocks, whose young musicians create their own instruments from waste materials like drum barrels, paint cans and plastic bottles.

Speaking on the U.S.-India relationship and the growth that the space could foster, Heidi says, “I think what the space will do, and do well, is bringing people together. Meeting Americans, talking with them, participating together, not talking about America necessarily but just talking, will facilitate a fuller understanding of each other.”

“Our idea is that we want to offer the resources to the community and we offer books, staff, computers, and also the space for people to come together, engage and learn. Who knows what comes out of it but we are excited to see it unfold,” she smiles.

The new Dosti House will be open to the public from September 26, from 9 am to 5 pm (Monday to Saturday). Patrons should remember to bring photo identification to ensure library access