The Centre’s plans to give the seat of power a makeover in the Capital has left urban planners and conservationists hoping that the development plans blend in with the old seamlessly so that the character of Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker’s iconic designs are not destroyed.
Bidding criteria
Over 18 architects and urban planners that participated in a pre-bid meeting organised by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) raised objections to the request for proposal (RFP) document, which they alleged was suited for big infrastructure firms.
They also stated that the architects and designers, who could revamp Parliament House, Central Secretarial and Central Vista would be left out as they would not be able to fulfil the bidding criteria.
Several architecture firms submitted a number of suggestions to the Centre, including that selection be made on the basis of a competition open to architects only.
They also asked the government to provide a detailed programme for creating new buildings, recycling existing infrastructure and creating civic space. The architects said they feel there should be no evaluation of monetary capacity, including financial turnovers and the designs must be judged by a jury where the majority are architects of high acclaim.
Urban designer and architect Arun Rewal said nobody in the country should have a problem with revamping buildings but there would certainly be opposition if any heritage building were to be pulled down.
“I am all for adaptive reuse and strategic revamp of buildings to create civic spaces in the city but the document which the government has released along with inviting bids is a mindless piece of work,” Mr. Rewal said.
On the bidding process, he said it has been set-up in a manner that only firms that have a turnover of ₹20 crore can take part. This will leave out most architectural and design firms and only attract large infrastructure firms, he said, adding: “The project should be headed by a committee that knows a thing or two about design. After all, these buildings are supposed to last for the next 150-200 years and need to be built with a proper vision. We have not even been told how many offices will be required or the number of people that will be working.” The designer alleged that the Council of Architecture that was set up under the Architects Act, 1972 was being sidelined even though several buildings like Parliament Library, National Gallery of Modern Art and War Museum, among others, were all constructed following the Council’s guidelines to blend in with the other structures in Lutyens’ Delhi.
Adding a conservationist’s perspective, former Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) convener A.G.K. Menon said, “We recognise the need for development, more functional buildings, and spaces, and cannot oppose the plan but the point is what will replace it and who is the going to be the jury on what changes will be made to our national treasure.”
He added that buildings like Parliament House, North and South Block have significant heritage values but one could argue that structures like Krishi Bhawan and Nirman Bhawan, be considered as heritage buildings as they are not too old.
“What needs to be done is to conduct a detailed report assessing the conditions of these buildings and their significance. INTACH has always argued that conservation is development-oriented and a proper procedure has to be followed for revamping,” Mr. Menon said.
He suggested that studies be done when applying for the UNESCO’s World Heritage City tag as it could be a useful benchmark before carrying out any changes so that conservation does not interfere with development. Commenting on the RDF, he said the fine print stated that Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone and Central Vista guidelines need to be followed but we will have to trust them and hope that the government does not shift their own goalpost once the contract is awarded.
Intentions of govt.
“The weakness in the bid document is that a lot depends on trust. I hope the intentions of the government are right,” Mr. Menon said. Citing an example of The Mall in Washington that has been revamped several times, he said it is possible to redevelop the Central Vista without changing its look.
“We need a strategy to revamp areas like Central Vista as it is an iconic space used during the Republic Day parade. But the problem with the bidding process is that it awards the contract to the lowest bidder and this can also be interpreted as the lowest quality. We cannot afford to be in a situation where we short-change ourselves when working on such an important project,” Mr. Menon added.
