This video was made possible by Morning Brew.
This is the plan for India's new government district, which is currently under construction.
The Indian government is planning a massive redevelopment project in the country’s capital New Delhi.
However, the new buildings that will serve as the seat of government will not be built
in a new location.
Rather, the current administrative center, which includes the Indian Parliament as well
as the official seat of the Indian President will be completely renovated with total costs
estimated at around 2.7 billion USD.
And this project symbolizes a renewal process that has been in the making for a long time.
- Intro Music -
The Central Vista was designed when India was part of the British Empire.
In 1911 the British Imperial Government decided to move the capital of the then British Indian
Empire from Calcutta to Delhi.
The reason for this were strong nationalist protests in Calcutta creating an uncomfortable
situation for the colonial government.
The construction of a new administrative area was planned at a location that had often served
as the political center in the region in the past.
This map of Lutyens shows their plan, above in black colour is Old Delhi and in red the
planned new Imperial Delhi.
The architects created a ceremonial axis along which parks and government buildings are located,
the Kings Way, or today Rajpath.
Lutyens took inspiration from some of the most famous avenues around the world such
as the Champs-Élysées in Paris, which at one end leads to the Arc de Triomphe.
In turn, the Kings Way designed by Lutyens leads towards the All India War Memorial known
today as India Gate.
Another great inspiration was the National Mall in the US capital, Washington DC.
Both cities are characterized by a central axis, which is about 3.5 kilometers long.
Both centers are arranged similarly in terms of their geometry.
With shorter cross axes and diagonal streets which lead towards the main way.
On one end of the Washington Mall is the Capitol, the seat of Congress.
Vice versa, on one end of New Delhi's central axis you find Viceroy’s House, the official
seat of the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom.
Even if architecturally clear similarities can be recognized, it is nevertheless important
to note that the context in which these two administrative centers were created is fundamentally
different.
After all, Washington came into being as a result of American independence.
A new capital city was designed from the ground up.
The administrative center of India, in turn, emerged in Delhi, which already was one of
the oldest cities in the world.
By setting up their seat of government here, the british linked their monarchy with the
deep history of the subcontinent.
While Washington was the result of liberation, New Delhi was commissioned by a colonial power.
After India gained independence, the administrative district in Delhi became the center of a new
independent nation.
And it was further developed as many of the buildings had to change their function.
Viceroy's House became Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of
India.
The Parliament which originally housed the Imperial Legislative Council, is now used
to house both chambers of India's democratically elected parliament.
Meanwhile, the population of the city increased and there was immense development pressure
on this area.
New office buildings were constructed, but there was a lack of vision of how this area
should be developed.
Today, the Central Vista is certainly a landmark in the country.
The parks have become a popular social gathering spot and every year on January 26th the Republic
Day parade takes place.
However, since many of the buildings are now being used for a different purpose than originally
intended, this administrative center actually only houses part of the government buildings.
The Secretariat Buildings are supposed to house the various ministries of the Indian
government.
However, their size is no longer sufficient, which is why a large part of the ministries,
as well as the prime minister's residence, are located outside of Central Vista.
Therefore the Indian government has decided to redevelop the entire area.
Under the direction of Indian architect Bimal Patel, the architecture firm HCP designed
what is supposed to be the future of Central Vista.
The parliament building is clearly too small for today's requirements of Indias democracy
and it is in a structurally desolate state.
Therefore, a completely new building will be created right next to the old parliament.
While the old parliament is circular, this new parliament is in triangular shape.
Nevertheless, it references many of the ideas present in the current parliament's design.
Today's parliament building consists of 3 semicircles that face each other.
They house two chambers of parliament as well as a library.
In the middle there is a common hall from which you can navigate to the different rooms.
And In between these halls, there are various courtyards.
The whole thing is surrounded by a circle that provides space for offices.
In a very similar way, the new parliament will also have office space facing outside.
Inside, however, the space is used significantly more effectively by reducing the courtyard
area.
The two chambers of parliament can therefore be built much larger in order to meet today's
requirements.
As already mentioned, the Secretariat Buildings are not sufficient for all the different ministries.
And many of the buildings that currently stretch along the Rajpath and house additional offices
are in poor structural condition.
These buildings will therefore be demolished to make way for a massive new Central Secretariat.
This should unite all ministries of the Indian government in one place.
These large buildings will each have a courtyard in the middle, which will serve as a meeting
and relaxation space.
In order to make commuting to work easier, the architects have planned underground electric
people-movers that stop at every office building.
Furthermore, a central conference center is being built in which larger events can be
held.
It will have various auditoriums as well as a number of conference and seminar rooms.
The National Archive Building is also located along Rajpath.
This currently comprises an old building by Lutyens from the Imperial period, as well
as a newer building that was added later.
As part of the current redevelopment, the old building is to be renovated, but otherwise
retains its function.
While the newer building will be demolished and replaced.
Also currently located along the Rajpath is the Indira Gandhi National Center for the
Arts, a major government-funded cultural institution in the country.
The center will have to move, as the current buildings will be demolished to make way for
the new Central Secretariat.
A new building for the institute is to be built on the India Gate Circle.
Another building that needs to make way for the new Central Secretariat is the National
Museum.
But since all ministries are now united in this Central Secretariat, the current Secretariat
Building loses its function.
The plan is therefore to relocate the National Museum to these two much larger buildings.
The new National Museum will then have three times as much space as it currently does.
And architect Patel, who oversees the redevelopment also considers this a symbolic change that
reflects the power of the people in a democratic nation.
The British built the old Secretariat on an elevation, with the government buildings located
on Raisina Hill.
But with the new plan to convert these buildings into a museum for the public and to relocate
the Central Secretariat along Rajpath, the arrangement reflects the rule of the people
in an independent India.
"Presently, you know if you are lucky and if the Prime Minister is not in office then
you can walk up and gape at those buildings, and see these big architectual instruments
of intimidation and wonder what goes on inside.
Now, they will become museums that you can walk up to."
Patels plan also moves the residency of the Vice President and the Prime Minister to a
new location.
Currently, the Prime Minister's residence is outside of Central Vista.
This new arrangement will not only bring these office holders close together but also reflect
the political hierarchy of India.
Centrally located is the seat of the President, the highest-ranking office in the nation.
To the presidents sides, there will be the seat of the Vice President on one hand, and
the seat of the Prime Minister on the other hand, who although having the most political
power, comes in third in the nations ceremonial hierarchy.
Adjacent to this residence is the new office of the Prime Minister, which is then located
directly opposite the old and new parliament.
Finally, the Rajpath, the central main axis and its parks will be fundamentally overhauled.
New vegetation will be planted, facilities will be completely renewed and pedestrian
underpasses will improve the experience for visitors.
The Central Vista Redevelopment Project is controversial in India and there is criticism
from many different sides.
"Now, that is to say that I think as non residents of Delhi I really don't think you get this
space."
"You're taking in money from the middle class, you're not giving money to the poor people
and you're spending it on your Central Vista."
"Most of your presentation talked about making incremental improvements to status quos.
But there was no larger ambition."
Questions regarding the project's ambitions are commonly discussed in India.
It is a challenging question.
Especially since the architects were faced with the difficult task of renovating an already
existing landmark.
This area is deeply connected to Indian history as well as the British Raj.
For some critics, this project represents an attempt to erase colonial history from
this place, and therefore from collective memory.
For others, the design is too restrained and lacks vision.
Much of the criticism also relates to the point in time when this prestigious project
is being implemented.
As the government is spending large sums of money on this project at a time where the
nation is facing the life-threatening challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The timing of this project also seems inappropriate to some in regards to the current state of
Indian democracy.
Just recently, the US based organization Freedom House, which monitors the state of democratic
institutions worldwide has, in a controversial move, downgraded India from a free democracy
to a partly free democracy.
Nevertheless, the project is currently under construction, even if the discussions will
certainly continue for a long time.
74 years after independence, this redevelopment ensures that the political center of India
reflects the ambitions of modern india.
Architecture can do many things.
It can look ahead to the future or into the past, or as in this project, try to build
a bridge between the two.
In addition, architecture can be symbolic and embody ideas such as openness, transparency,
democracy and equality.
But what architecture cannot do is put these principles into practice and protect them.
This is a task that will remain with politics and civil society.
What helps is to be well informed, even if it can be difficult to find the time to read
up day-to-day news.
That’s why every morning I look at the free overview of topics and current developments
compiled by Morning Brew, this video’s sponsor.
How it works is that every morning, Morning Brew sends you an email about what's going
on in business, finance, politics and tech.
Instead of aimlessly clicking through social media in the hope of catching some relevant
information, you can look at this well-researched overview that takes just 5 minutes to read
every day.
They do a great job of summarizing complex topics.
Over time you will be much better in the loop for what is going on in the world.
And the best thing is, it is completely free, so if you don’t like it, you haven’t lost a thing.
So, head to the link in the description or click the box on screen to check out Morning Brew.
Not only is it a great way to stay up to date, completely free, but also to support this channel.
Thank you for watching.