India is the largest democratic country and the Parliament of India represents the most significant democratic electorate in the world. The honorable Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament Building recently. India’s present Parliament House is a colonial-style building designed by British architects, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
“The new Parliament building is a true testimony to the wonders and diversified culture of everything Indian. With all the elaborative and intricate details and material sourcing, the designs and planning make us feel closer to our proud identity as Indians.”- Nishal Sevak(Co-Editor)
The existing building took six years to complete and went through various renovations as per needs during all these years. Although, with the expansion of the modern Parliament, new designs and infrastructure became evident.
The new Design of the Parliament Building is part of an ambitious project Central Vista, designed by nationally renowned architecture firm, Hasmukh C.Patel Architects. As part of being an icon to the Nation, the new Parliament House sits at the heart of Central Vista. Where, the new building and the old one will work together as an ensemble, to facilitate a smoother functioning of operation of the Parliament.
The old structure was circular, whereas the new one is triangular, consisting of Lok-Sabha, a Central Hall Joint-session, a central lounge, a Constitutional Hall, Rajya Sabha, and offices. All the prime activity spaces are spacious and are capable of much more seating than the previous one. The sole purpose to create a larger structure was for the expanded Parliament.
The building shape is inspired by the ‘sacred geometry’, says Bimal Patel, the principal architect of HCP. Adding to it, the building is a symbol of ‘Rising India’, celebrating the Nation’s growth. Also, unlike the old one, the new building has a courtyard that will act as a central hall, having a large Banyan tree, the National tree of India.
With a massive built-up area of 65,000 sq. mt., the triangular shape offers optimum utilization of the space. The new structure has three entrances as of the triangle’s three corners, called the Ceremonial Entrances. Whereas, the public entrances are located in the middle of the three faces of the triangle. Further inside, the edge of the triangle houses all the Ministers’ offices. Moving ahead, the three major halls of Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, and a large lounge with a courtyard take place.
In the center is the Constitutional Hall along with gallery space and MP’s reading room. The Constitutional Hall symbolically and physically puts Indian people at the heart of Indian Democracy.
It is interesting to know that the new Parliament building matches the height and bulk of the old one. In addition, the new building takes aesthetic influence from the old one of utilizing Indian and the interiors reflect the classical, folk, and tribal arts of India.
The Lok-Sabha interiors are inspired by the National bird, Peacock, and the Rajya-Sabha interiors showcase inspiration from the National flower, Lotus. Though the colors, red and green, are followed from the old structure, the designers have interpreted them in their own way by incorporating peacock motifs in the ceiling design, peacock feather inlays in the seatings, and the jali designs. Similarly, the Rajya Sabha ceiling is in lotus leaf shape and has also been incorporated as motifs in the seatings.
The detailing of each space is impeccable, representing the Indian Nation through every corner. Whether it is the color, the inlays in wood, the patterns, or the jali designs, the designers have thoughtfully incorporated vital elements of the Nation. Besides the aesthetics and materials, the new Parliament building ensures technological benefits that were missing in the old Parliament.
All the offices are secure and well-equipped with the latest technology. Also, it has large committee rooms, equipped with the latest audio-visual systems to deliver higher efficiency. And, the furniture in the debating hall has smart displays and biometrics for ease of voting with an intuitive and graphical interface; digital language interpretation and recording infrastructure to produce real-time metadata; and programmable microphones.
After many years of British rule and colonial structures, the new Parliament building stands to be an icon to the ‘Atmanirbhar’ India. With the completion of the new Parliament building, the entire Nation looks forward to what Central Vista brings next.
Text by Aditi Shah (Co-Editor)
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