Lutyen’s Delhi

Why change in Capital…?

• Political turmoil in Bengal against the proposal of Partition of Bengal

by lord Curzon in 1905.

• This prompted the Government to shift its seat of power from Calcutta to

Delhi.

• Coz Delhi was surrounded by amicable native states and they will be away

from the rigorous criticism of the Bengali press.

• Delhi was chosen as the suitable capital…to symbolize the permanence

of British rule in India…to lay claim to India’s past.

• Hence came the City of New Delhi. “Constructive and geometric

qualities to manifest the law, order and governance.”

The Site….parameters

The Site was chosen to the South of Existing City of Shahjahanabad

Parameters:

• Health

• Questions of Sanitation

• Sentiments and Costs

• Commercial, Civil and Military requirements

• Room for Expansion

• Facilities for internal and external Communications

• Adequate Water supply

Planning

• Axiality

• Orientation

• Symmetry

• Vantage Point

• Highlighted Intersections

• Classicist Baroque Layout

Lord Harding, the then Viceroy of India wanted a BLEND OF INDIAN

SENTIMENTS in the building of New Delhi…along with the

“simple forms,

mathematical restraint,

noble ideas from Greek art.”

INSPIRATIONS

Elysees, Paris Champs

Washington D.C.

London

STAGES IN THE DESIGN

•Lutyens basic idea while designing

the city was to relate past with the

present.

•He tried to get the best possible view

of the monuments of the city like Jama

Masjid.

1

2 3

introduction of a cross-axial plaza with

two Secretariat blocks curved streets

similar to Regent street in London

enlarged circus at the end

of main avenue

enlarged circus at the

end of main avenue

4

5

6

Three avenues radiating from

Government House ,one towards

Jama Masjid, a second towards

Indrapat and a third towards Delhi

gate

7

8

9

the main avenue in a northeast

to southwest direction

main avenue north-

west to southeast

10

11

12 Government House

moved back in order to

allow for sufficient

space for the two

Secretariats

Large triangular and

hexagonal pattern

with a square in front

of Raisina Hill.

THE SITE

At first the assumption was that the capital would be built north rather than south of Shahjahanabad, making use of the infrastructure already there.

• In the end, however, the south was preferred for its cheaper land, more space and greater healthiness, being further form swamps.

• His selection was the low hill near the village of Raisina.

IMPERIAL AXIS

The defining factor for new

Delhi was the neo classical

imperial axis known as king’s

way (now Rajpath) with viceroy’s

house on one end and India on

other with obelisk in between.

This Imperial Axis gives it a

geometrical character. The

geometry lies in its concept also

all the buildings are an outcome

of Geometrical forms.

KING‟S WAY

VARIOUS BUILDINGS

The site planning is done

in such a way that the city

occupies the central part of

Delhi. It have spacious avenues

connecting the centers of

administrative power,

commerce and public

services.

India Gate

Secretariat

Rashtrapati

bhawan

Parliament

bungalows

• FAULTS IN THE DESIGN:

Bakers insistence that the Secretariats should be share the summits of Raisina, which

was originally to be reserved for Viceroys House alone. In consequence to make

space for the Secretariats, viceroys House was pushed back from the crest of the hill

and so, although it is visible from a distance and from the summit, it is invisible to

anyone standing at the foot of the hill.

GEOMETRICAL INFLUENCES

No city in the world has derived its plan

structure from the geometric shapes of

the equilateral triangle and the hexagram

or hexagon as consistently as New

Delhi.

These forms apply as much to the town

plan as to the individual buildings

Lutyens’ use of triangle, hexagon and hexagram,

might be explained by

membership in a freemason’s lodge, or by

Jewish descent Lutyens was familiar with Hindu symbolism and

geometry

was not totally resistant to the Viceroys desire

for Mughal elements

INDIAN INFLUENCES

• At the outset Viceroy wanted the buildings to have a generally Indian appearance, in order to symbolize the increasing role of Indians in government; but mindful of the strong dislike for Indian traditions among British in India, he proposed a compromise style which would include Indian motifs.

• Indian architectural elements were taken

MATERIAL USED- red sandstone stone was used in most of the buildings of

lutyen’s as it was locally available.

chattri

chajja

Sanchi stupa

Indian columns

Axial Planning of the City was composed in Hexagonal Grids,

to integrate the Palace Complex with the existing monuments in order

to take references from the remnants of the empires of the past.

Viceroy’s

Palace

Connaught

Place

Jama Masjid

Rajpath

(King’s Way)

Processional

Path India Gate

Purana Qila

River

Yamuna

The Axes of Power

Janpath

(Queen’s

Way)

North

South

West East

Social Stratification in the placement of Bungalows

Viceroy’s

Palace

C.P

Rajpath

(King’s Way)

India Gate Purana Qila

River

Yamuna

Janpath

(Queen’s

Way)

North

South

West East North Block

South Block

Residences of

Members of Council,

Secretaries, Officials.

Fat Indians’

Bungalows

Upper Grade

White Sahibs

Upper Grade

White Sahibs

Brown Sahibs

Shahjahanabad

“The Social Stratification got reflected in

City Fabric”

• City was conceived as a segregated zone:

- positional reference with existing indigenous city of

Shahjahanabad.

- hierarchial space making within its own periphery.

• Compartmentalized zoning of various cross-sections.

• Apparent control on the Social Structure, according to their political,

social and economic standing.

Indicators of the Status of an Accommodation in

NEW DELHI

• Distance from the Government Complex

• Elevation

• Size of the Bungaow Compound

• Size of Dwelling

• Width of front road

• Name of road

• Name of area

• Name and Index of House Type

• Type and Quantity of Vegetation

• Presence and Absence of

Various facilities.

•Capital of –India shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911

•Decision was taken in the Delhi Durbar in 1911

•Announced by king George-V on 12th December

1911.

•Enormous scale and prominent position for

Governor-General‟s residence.

•British Architect Edwin Landseer Lutyens- key

member in the planning process.

Sketches…

Sketches…

People involved:

Chief Architect - Edwin Landseer Lutyens

Architect – Herbert Baker

Chief Engineer – Hugh Keeling

Muslim Contractor – Haroun Al Rashid (main building)

Sujan Singh and his son Sobha Singh (forecourt)

Viceroy’s Palace

( Rashtrapati Bhawan )

Indian Designs

• Several Circular Stone basins on top of the palace, as water features are an important part of Indian Architecture.

•Traditional Indian Chajja, which took the place of the frieze. it was a sharp, thin, protruding element which extended 8 feet from the building, and created deep shadows. It stopped harsh sunlight from getting to the windows, and also stopped rain during a monsoon season.

•On the roofline were several chattris, which helped to break up the look of the flat part of the roofline not covered by the dome.

Uncomplicated Design elements.

Indian Designs

•Statues of elephants and fountain sculptures of cobras in the

gardens.

• Grilles made from red sandstone, called jalis or jaalis. Inspired by

Indian design, but used only in small areas.

•The front of the palace, on the east side, has twelve unevenly

spaced columns with the Delhi order capitals.

•The columns are made in the original „Delhi‟ order which

combines vertical lines with the motif of a bell.

•These capitals have a fusion of acanthus leaves with the four

pendant Indian bells.

Indian Designs

• The Indian temple bells are a part of the culture of Indian religions, such as

Hindu and Buddhist, the idea coming from a Jain temple at Moodabidri in

Karnataka.

• One bell is on each corner at the top of the column.

Viceroyal Lodge was largely completed by 1929, and (along with the rest of

New Delhi)

• Officially inaugurated in 1931.

• The dome, though claimed by Lutyens to be inspired by the Pantheon of

Rome, is primarily derived from the Sanchi Stupa built during the

Mauryan times.

• Mughal and European colonial architectural elements.

• RASHTRAPATI BHAWAN has 340 decorated rooms

Floor area of 200,000 square feet (19,000 m²),

Built by using 700 million bricks

3 million cubic feet (85,000 m³) of stone,

The usage of steel is very minimal.

Secretariat Building

Houses the following ministries:

• Ministry of Defence (MoD)

• Ministry of Finance (MoF)

• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)

• Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)

• Prime Minister's Office (PMO)

• The Secretariat Building consists of two buildings: the North Block and the South Block. Both the buildings flank the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

• The South Block houses the Prime Minister Office, Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs

• The North Block primarily houses the Ministry of Finance and the Home Ministry

Rajpath

NORTH

BLOCK

SOUTH

BLOCK

NORTH BLOCK SOUTH BLOCK