An imagined conversation between…….Indian Government, HCP Consultants, General Public, and me. While discussing the future of The Lutyen’s Delhi, the last comment which I did before doing this project was.
Project Name: Shaping Architecture of Lutyens, Delhi
By: Rishabh Aggarwal
“I know the Project I chose for my thesis is never going to be built but it can help to establish an example in our future collectives for the students and maybe for the architects. Also, as a responsible architect, we need to look at the Architecture Character of the Cities in which we will build and hence the project aims to give them the idea of the process one can or should follow before designing, copying, pasting or westernizing the society.”
It’s all started with the research “Architecture of the Cities and the Solutions for shaping them. Currently, half of the world’s population resides in urban areas and this will be expected to double in the next 40 years. A growing population needed large no. of infrastructure that created great opportunities in terms of Architecture but architects in his own greed and vision had forgotten the physical form of the city, that results in cities are losing its Architectural character which is essential in reflecting the history and culture of the cities. As we know that India always stands strong when we talk in terms of culture and ethics, hence it becomes our moral responsibility to preserve its cultural and historical identity. For coping with this Urban Issue we need to look at the parameters that define the Architectural character of the cities which remains in the memory of a person who explores its routes and then the solutions through architecture design that can make great contributions to visual form, the identity, and public spaces.
Besides Rapid Urbanisation, sometimes Political Agendas also become the reason which contributes to the loss of Architectural Character of a city as in the current scenario of Delhi’s (Central Vista project). Now the questions arises are:
Is there any requirement to Build something New at a place which is having so much High value of Importance, which not only leads to change the Identity of this place but also the identity of the city or can say whole Nation as well?
Which Architectural Character should we consider in a city like Delhi, having existing multiple Architectural Character?
Now, as we know that “Change is the reality” and we can’t just keep on repeating the history every time. We need to understand that, the urban fabric should be renewed with changing times but, in context to that city and in a city like Delhi, the responsibility of creating identity goes to the buildings which are of regional or national importance. Taking inspiration from the past and respond to present for our future should be the aim. The location of the Project is itself called the constitutional heart of our Nation, known as ‘Central Vista’ in LBZ (Lutyens Bungalow Zone).
This project is all about shaping an Architectural Character of Lutyen’s Delhi through a proposed Master Plan of Central Vista (Considering the originality of thoughts of Sir Edwin Lutyens) with a newly designed Secretariat Building. Through design, the intent is to keep both functions of Public Recreational Space (for which this area meant to be) and Administrative Space for Govt. Officials in one single building without interrupting the functions of each other.
