Delhi‘s architecture is more than a thousand years old and has long been a hub for art and architecture as the capital of various foremost Indian empires, including the Rajput monarchy, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, and British Raj. Before the country adopted democracy, Delhi was under colonial rule by the Britishers. Government premises and public buildings became the focal point of the colonial era to visualize British dominance. Some substantial structures were constructed under the never-ending British Raj and are still sturdy and well-equipped today. These structures signify the British people’s idea of themselves as the country’s rulers.
The redevelopment of Shahjahanabad following the Indo-Saracenic reforms was commissioned by eminent architects like Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker. They created the magnificent avenue plan, the expansive urban street network, and political structures together with Viceroy’s House and The Secretariat.
The architectural style was set apart by open verandas, tall, narrow windows, ornate colonnades, chajjas, cornice jaalis, and simple, attractive facades with proportionately balanced details. On a larger scale, wide avenues with a radial or diagonally running road network were being forward. Considering the graphic of the created form, the main axis generated triangles and hexagons. Neoclassical architecture is very evidently used in Lutyens’ Delhi. The use of indigenous materials like yellow sandstone gives it a hint of Mughal architecture as well. The materials and methods used in the West could not be used, as a result, Lutyens used Western design to implement the indigenous materials.
St. James’ Church
The Renaissance Revival-inspired St. James’ Church was open to the public in 1836. It has a cruciform layout, is made up of porticoes in the neoclassical style, and has a baroque dome in the middle. The building process began in 1826 and the construction work finished in 1836. The main structure of a church in the Renaissance Revival style is a cruciform layout (Greek cross), with three porticoed porches, intricate stained glass windows, and an octagonal dome in the middle, similar to that of the Florence Cathedral in Italy.
Rashtrapati Bhawan(Viceroy’s House)
With a Layout of 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2), four floors, and 340 rooms using only a small amount of steel and 1 billion bricks, and 3,000,000 cubic feet (85,000 m3) of stone, the building’s design belonged to the Edwardian Baroque ea when heavy classical themes were frequently used to emphasize imperial authority and might. The building has adorned with several Indian features. Since water elements are a significant component of Indian design, these comprised numerous round stone basins on top of the structure. Conventional Indian frieze, called hajj or chhajja, replaced friezes in classical architecture.
India Gate(All India war memorial)
The 138-foot-tall arch is devoted to World War One martyrs. Edward had a simple, classical design in mind for this memorial building. The 42-meter (138-foot)-tall India Gate, stands on a low base of red Bharatpur stone and rises in stages to an immense molding. Above the Gateway, there is a large bowl as well. It was intended to be lit up during rituals by being filled with oil. The monument finishes using local resources like granite and red, yellow, and yellow sandstone.
Parliament House
Sir Edward Lutyen’s plan for Parliament House(constructed between 1921-1927) has a circular shape. The Chausath Yogini temple in Madhya Pradesh served as its inspiration. This building’s 98-foot-diameter center hall serves to illustrate how big it is. The main building is adjoining by numerous semicircular halls. These rooms house the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and the library. The building, adjacent to extensive gardens, is a superb example of rich architectural diversity. One can find sandstone railing around the building’s circumference.
Connaught Place
Named after Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught(1850–1942). The Georgian architecture of Connaught Place is modeled after John Wood’s Royal Crescent in Bath. Connaught Place had only two levels, making it sensibly a complete circle, whereas the Royal Crescent is semicircular and a three-story residential building designed to house businesses on the ground floor and residences on the first. The final design of the circle consisted of two concentric rings, forming the Inner Circle, Middle Circle, and Outer Circle own seven roads radiating from a central circular park known as Radial Roads. According to the original design, radial roads were to run beneath the archways used to connect Connaught Place’s several blocks. To give it a larger scale, the circle was “split up,” though.
St. Martin’s Garrison Church
No Neo-classical style can be apparent after the 1930s, but new ideas of International Style emerged, One example of such style is New Delhi’s St. Martin’s Garrison Church (1931), designed by A.G. Shoesmith. As it helps to nurture the modern approach, this style has seen a few changes in the way architecture and design are being done. The shift in viewpoint can be compared to a simple exterior made of homogenous material that was acclaimed for minimalism.
References:
(2022). history of the church. www.stjameschurchdelhi.com. http://www.stjameschurchdelhi.com/about-us/history-of-the-church/
Banerjee, J. (2014). Colonial architecture in India. victorianweb.org. https://victorianweb.org/history/empire/india/68.html
Hashmi, S. (2019). The changing face of Delhi the colonial influence. thewire.in. https://thewire.in/urban/the-changing-face-of-delhi-the-colonial-influence
(2022). lutyens Delhi. www.outlookindia.com. https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/lutyens-delhi/235665
(2022). Connaught Place,New Delhi. en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connaught_Place,_New_Delhi
