Architecture of Delhi

The Architecture of Delhi dates back more than a thousand years. As the capital of several great empires of India, including Rajput kingdom, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, and British Raj, the city of Delhi has been a center for art and architecture.

Rajput Kingdom

The few surviving structures from before the Delhi Sultanate period include Agrasen ki Baoli and Qila Rai Pithora.

Delhi Sultanate

The Delhi Sultanate ruled the city between 1206 and 1526. Their rule saw the development of early Indo-Islamic architecture, the most prominent being the Qutb complex, a group of monuments surrounding the Qutb Minar.

Mughal Empire

Mughal Architecture emerged as a form of Indo-Islamic architecture during the rule of the Mughal Empire. Mughal architecture is characterized by large bulbous onion domes, the use of white marble and red sandstone, delicate ornamentation work, and large buildings surrounded by gardens on all four sides.

The Humayun's Tomb is the first notable example of Mughal architecture in Delhi.

British Colonial period

After Delhi was declared the site for a new capital of India, George V laid the foundation of New Delhi, which would serve as the capital. The British invited Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker to design the government buildings. This area would also be called Lutyens' Delhi in honor of the architect. Members of Lutyens' team of architects included Walter Sykes George, Arthur Gordon Shoosmith and Henry Medd. It is reported that Lutyens was reluctant to incorporate Indian features in his style, but later conceded.

Post-Independence

The Supreme Court of India was designed by Ganesh Bhikaji Deolalikar in the same style as that of the other major buildings in Lutyens' Delhi. However, modernist architecture became prevalent in Delhi as well as all over India, especially after the influence of Le Corbusier.[5]

After Independence, the best examples of modern architecture in Delhi include IIT Delhi (1961) by Jugal Kishore Chodhury, Hall of Nations (1972) and Asian Games Village (1982) by Raj Rewal, Palika Kendra building (1984) by Kuldip Singh, and Lotus Temple (1986) by Fariborhz Sahba.

In 2017, the demolition of the Hall of Nations received worldwide condemnation from architectural enthusiasts. It was considered to be one of the best examples of modernist architecture in India.[6]

References

  1. "Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 2019-04-27. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  2. "Red Fort Complex". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 2019-04-02. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  3. "Humayun's Tomb, Delhi". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 2018-07-04. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  4. Permanent Delegation of the Government of India to UNESCO. "Bahá'í House of Worship at New Delhi". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  5. Mukerji, Arjun; Sanghamitra, Basu. "A Search for Post-Modernism in Indian Architecture". Abacus. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  6. ;Langar, Suneet Zishan (2017-06-23). "The Demolition of Delhi's Hall of Nations Reveals India's Broken Attitude to Architectural Heritage". ArchDaily. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
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