With the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Parliament building and the Supreme Court’s nod for the Central Vista redevelopment project, the 3 km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate is all set for an overhaul. Tata Projects and Shapoorji Pallonji Group will be working on the new Parliament Building and the redevelopment of the Central Vista respectively, as they emerged as the lowest bidders during the tendering process. However, Bimal Patel, owner of HCP Design and chief architect of this project is designing the blueprint. When the original work began on the Central Vista, Edwin Lutyens and Hebert Baker were inspired by Washington’s Capitol Complex and Paris’ Champs Élysées. The design language was based on Beaux-Arts. Post-independence, the Central Vista came under development pressure and the original work by Lutyens and Baker was altered. Compared to other Capitol Complexes
in the world, Central Vista looks outdated.

The New Parliament Building
One of the chief objectives of the redevelopment plan includes the construction of a new parliament building. Historical plans of the Parliament Building reveal that the round building was not the first option. The new building will be constructed adjacent to the present one in a triangular plot. The plan of the new building is based on a rigorous triangular grid of 3.65 metres. For the seating layouts inside the chambers, the present horseshoe layout from the British Parliament will continue. The Lok Sabha Chamber will have patterns on the walls and ceilings inspired by our national bird whereas the Rajya Sabha chamber will be inspired by our national flower. One stark change from the present building is the renewed focus on natural light through large windows.
Constitution Hall
There will be three public galleries inside the new building and all three will lead to the Constitution Hall which is positioned right in the centre. The design of the ceiling will represent the cosmos and the walls will have images representing the diversity of India. The highlight here is the consolidation of all 51 ministries in 12 office buildings along with Central Vista which will be designed lower than India Gate and will have central conferencing facilities. The Vice President will get a new address near the Parliament House and the PM will move out from 7, Lok Kalyan Marg to a new residence towards the South Block. The trees remain a top priority while redeveloping the avenue. The vendors will have designated spots and more public conveniences will be setup. Underpasses for pedestrians are also planned.
Strengthening cultural and recreational facilities
The IGNCA will be moved opposite the Hyderabad House in the C-Hexagon. The North and South Blocks will be converted into the National Museum. The new addition will be the New India Garden on the banks of the Yamuna River connected to Central Vista. Finally, a National Biodiversity Arboretum will be constructed in the Presidential Estate which will have a green house and endangered plant species to be preserved. One of the beautiful aspects of the buildings by Lutyens and Baker is that they were all designed to be the symbols of the Raj. When the work on these buildings began, Lutyens was not in favour of having Indian elements, Baker wanted a blend of both. In the end, what came out was a beautiful synthesis of both the Indian and European traditions. It is the power of that architecture and beauty of India that though it was meant to represent the Raj, has been totally embraced and taken by
Indians as their own. In the words of Bimal Patel, “The original Lutyens plan is being strengthened more than being diminished, the structure of the streets, the old buildings and entire structure will be maintained as it is. It is actually a tribute to Lutyens-Baker Plan. We feel that the architectural language has to work along with the language of old heritage buildings and creating something that blends with the place rather than standing apart.”