New Delhi History of Architecture gives information on Architectural concept of Delhi by Lutyens Delhi.

1. LUTYENS DELHI
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:
AR. MOHAN TAORI BHAVYA VASHISTHA
B.ARCH 5-A

2. The capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911
Reasons for the shifting of the capital:
• Controversial partitioning of Bengal In 1905 - right to vote between Bengali Hindus n
Muslims.
• Delhi’s geographical position at the centre of northern India (roughly equidistant from
Bombay and Calcutta)
• Delhi’s historic importance (Important seat of the Mughal empire) (For Hindus –
maharbharata-era city of Indraprastah)
• Perceived political need to rearticulate british power.
Image 1 Image 2

3. 1911 – Foundation stone for New Delhi
at Delhi Darbar
On December 15, 1911, King George V and Queen Mary laid the foundation
stone for New Delhi, at a Darbar under a purposely built Shah Jahani dome.
The message was clear: the British were the legitimate successors of the
Mughals and their new capital was intended to express the power of the
Raj, just as Shah Jahan’s capital had expressed the authority of the Mughals.

4. Lutyens had initially designed Delhi
with all the streets
crossing at right angles, much like
in New York.
However, Lord Hardinge told him of
the dust storms that sweep the
landscape in these parts, insisting
on roundabouts, hedges and trees
to break their force, giving him the
plans of Rome, Paris and
Washington to study and apply to
Delhi.
The initial
design of
New Delhi

5. Image source: http://www.archinomy.com/case-studies/1158/changing-image-of-lutyens-delhi

6. The layout of Lutyens Delhi was governed by three major
visual corridors, linking the government complex with :
• Jama Masjid
• Indraprastha
• Safdarjungs Tomb
Intentions of the Layout:
Lutyens’ Delhi was planned on the most spacious garden
city lines with the great avenues decorated with classical
buildings with lush landscape.

7. Features
1. The plan reflects Lutyens’ “transcendent fervour for geometric
symmetry,” which is expressed through amazing sequences of triangles
and hexagons, through sightlines and axes.
2. Lutyens’ plan is also remarkable
for the generous green spaces,
lawns, watercourses, flower and
fruit-bearing trees, and their
integration with
the parks developed around
monuments.
3. The attempt was to include all
natural and historical wonders in
the new city.

8. The Road Network
• Besides the major Pathway,
there were extremely wide
avenues. The original design of
the road network was capable
of accommodating 6000
vehicles, however these
avenues, had the potential of
increasing their carriageway-
the reason why the road layout
has survived till today.
• In general the road network
consisted of diagonals and
radials, at 30 degree/ 60
degree angles to the main axis,
forming triangles and
hexagons.

9. Lutyens’ Delhi - Zoning
GOVERNMENT
COMPLX
BUNGLOW ZONE
COMMERCIAL
DISTRICT

10. GOVERNMENT COMPLEX

13. 1. Lutyens laid out the central administrative area of the city.
2. At the heart of the city was the impressive Rashtrapati Bhawan, located on the top
of Raisina Hill. The Rajpath connects India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhawan, while
Janpath, which crosses it at a right angle, connects South end with Connaught
Place.
3. The Secretariat Building, which houses various ministries of the Government of
India including Prime Minister's Office are beside the Rashtrapati Bhawan and were
designed by Herbert Baker.
4. Also designed by Baker was the Parliament House, located on the Sansad Marg,
running parallel with the Rajpath.
The Government Complex/ Administrative area

14. Lutyen's grandiose Government House (Rashtrapati Bhawan) - located on Raisina Hill,
and one of New Delhi's major thoroughfares, Rajpath, connects it to the Purana Qila
Lord Hardinge chose the Raisina Hill for
locating the viceroy’s palace because:
The Rashtrapati Bhawan
• It was a well drained.
• Constituted of slopes and plains
between the ridge and the river.
• Its eastern and southern margins
were studded with monuments of
vanished empires. A broad crescent
from Shahjahanabad and Kotla Firoz
Shah, south to Tughlaqabad and the
Qutub with tombs of Safdarjung and
Lodhis as well as Jantar Mantar in the
foreground could be viewed from the
site.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 2

16. The Secretariat
• The Secretariat Building was designed by
architect Herbert Baker in Indo-Saracenic Revival
architecture.
• Much of the building is in classical architectural
style, yet it incorporated Mughal and Rajasthani
architecture style and motifs in its architecture.
• These are visible in the use of Jali.
• Another feature of the building is a dome-like
structure known as the Chatri.
• The style of architecture used
in Secretariat Building is
unique to Raisina Hill. In front
of the main gates on buildings
are the four "dominion
columns", given by Canada,
Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3

18. The Parliament House
• The Parliament Hous was designed by Edwin
Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
• It was built with indigenous materials and by
Indian labour and the architecture of the
building bears a close imprint of the Indian
tradition.
• The layout of fountains both inside and
outside the building, the use of Indian
symbols, the "Chhajjas” and the varied forms
of "Jali" in marble are reminders of the story
of the craftsmanship displayed in ancient
monuments and memorials.

19. JALIS
JALIS
JALIS
COMMON
FEATURES
BUDDHIST DOME
BUDDHIST DOME
http://monuments-in-india.blogspot.in/2009/12/rashtrapati-bhavan.html
http://www.indiansecretsrevealed.com/secratariat-building-trip/
THICK BAND
THICK BAND
THICK BAND

20. • Starting from India Gate, at the
lowest and eastern end of Rajpath,
nearby land was allocated to
numerous princely states, each of
which built small palaces, such as
the Bikaner House (now the
Rajasthan tourism office) and Jaipur
House (now the National Gallery of
Modern Art).
• It might be said that this placement
mirrored the British sentiments
toward the princes, who lost much
of their former power and status
during the British Raj. Here, too, are
the state Bhavans (houses), where
you can taste the cuisine of each
state.
THE PRINCELY STATES

21. • In this whole process almost no
attention was paid to the problems of
Old Delhi. Due to the creation of New
Delhi, Old Delhi experienced a 28%
surge in population from 1916-1926
resulting in the spilling over of the
population from inside the walled city
to the Paharganj area, whose
restructuring was later abandoned by
Lutyens due to resource constraints.
• Also, no provision of housing was
premeditated for the large no. of
skilled and unskilled workers which
immigrated in for the construction
work of New Delhi.
• This negligence of the planners
towards Old Delhi resulted in its
transformation to a large slum area
through deterioration and
dilapidation.
Drawbacks
Image Source:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Lutyens'_proj
ected_Imperial_Delhi,_from_the_Encyclopedia_Britannica,_11t