Lutyen's Delhi

The history of architecture
Lutyens Delhi
Planning & Design
BY : AVI KORAT, 07
VATSALYA MAKWANA, 09
MAMTA SALUNKE, 16
ANJALI SONI,17
SHEETAL THAKUR, 19
Lutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi,
Topic
India, named after the leading British architect Edwin
Lutyens (1869–1944), who was responsible for much of the
architectural design and building when India was part of the
Introduction : British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s. This also includes the
Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ).
It was the renowned British Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens

(1869-1944) who prepared the Master Plan for New Delhi in
1912-13, as the dominant voice on the Delhi Planning
Commission, announced by His Majesty King George V at
the Coronation Durbar, held in Delhi in December 1911.
“DISTRICTS ARE STRUCTURED WITH
NODES, DEFINED BY EDGES,
PENETRATED BY PATHS AND When Edwin Lutyens won the commission to build a new
SPRINKLED WITH LANDMARKS. capital for the British Empire’s jewel, his aim was to create a
ELEMENTS REGULARLY OVERLAP
garden city ‘with room for endless expansion’. He did just
ONE ANOTHER.”
that. The city has expanded to be the capital of the world’s
– KEVIN LYNCH largest democracy, while its spacious core of immaculately
designed and executed landmark government and civic
buildings throb with activity, making New Delhi arguably the
2020 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
most successful planned city of the 20th century.
Timeline of Events 1
Years to Remember
1911 -BRITISH CAPITAL SHIFTED FROM CALCUTTA TO DELHI
1914- EDWIN LUTYEN WAS APPOINTED AS THE CHIEF ARCHITECT OF THE

PALNNING COMMITTEE OF DELHI 2
1916- SECRETERIAT BUILDING DESIGNED BY HERBERT BAKER ALONG SIDE
EDWIN LUTYENS WERE CONSTRUCTED
1933- CONNAUGHT PLACE DESIGNED BY SIR ROBERT RUSSELL BECAME THE

CENTRAL BUSINESS CENTER MAKING DELHI A CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
1947- INDIA GAINS INDEPENDENCE AND A NEW MEANING IS GIVEN TO ALL

THE BUILDINGS OF NEW DELHI . 3
In order to understand the imagability of Lutyens Delhi, it is
imperative to know its history and why the site was
chosen.
HISTORY :
The primary concern for the transfer of capital from

Calcutta to Delhi was to locate a more durable and subtle
public opinion: the intention was to express the
achievements possible under the British Raj and as a stamp
of the autocratic rule.
Reasons for the shifting of the capital:

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)
Perceived political need to rearticulate british power.

The old buildings which have perhaps made the
most impression on the imagination of mankind are
those which are raised up on an eminence, even as
those of the old Greek cities and the capitol at
Rome.
Herbert Baker
Edwin Lutyen
A Brief :
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, (29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944), was a
British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional
architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many
English country houses.
He has been referred to as "the greatest British architect" and is known

best for having an instrumental role in designing and building a section
of the metropolis of Delhi, known as New Delhi, which would later on
serve as the seat of the Government of India. In recognition of his
contribution, New Delhi is also known as "Lutyens' Delhi". In
collaboration with Sir Herbert Baker, he was also the main architect of
several monuments in New Delhi such as the India Gate; he also
designed Viceroy's House, which is now known as the Rashtrapati
Bhavan.

Lutyens led a team of architects in laying out the central administrative area of the city, with
the charge of retaining one-third of the area as green space. At the heart of the city was the
impressive Rashtrapati Bhawan, formerly known as Viceroy's House, located on the top of
Raisina Hill. The Rajpath, also known as King's Way, connects India Gate to Rashtrapati
Bhawan, while Janpath, which crosses it at a right angle, connects South End Road
(renamed as Rajesh Pilot Marg) with Connaught Place.
The Secretariat Building, which house various ministries of the Government of India
including the Prime Minister's Office, is beside the Rashtrapati Bhawan and was designed
by Herbert Baker. Also designed by Baker was the Parliament House,located on the
Sansad Marg, running parallel with the Rajpath. Two magnificent cathedrals in the area, the
Anglican Cathedral Church of the Redemption and Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral
were designed by Henry Medd.
2020 | DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

INITIAL DESIGN
Lutyens had initially designed

Delhi with all the streets
crossing at right angles, much
like in New York. However, Lord
Hardingetold 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.
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. The layout of Lutyens
Delhi was governed by three major visual
corridors, linking the government complex
with :
Jama Masjid
Indraprastha
Safdarjung Tomb
FEATURES OF THE LAYOUT
FEATURES OF THE LAYOUT
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
THE GOVERNMENT COMPLEX/ ADMINISTRATIVE AREA :
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 Rajpathconnects 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.
Lutyen's Delhi
zoning
DRAWBACKS :
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.
Lutyens'
Contributions in Delhi
The Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Secretariat Building
The Parliament of India
Rajpath
The India Gate
Janpath
Patiala Houase
Baroda House
Hyderabad House
The National Archives of
India
Lutyens Bungalow Zone
SOURCES
BOOKS : David Gordon (2006) Planning Twentieth Century Capital Cities, : Routledge.
Robert Byron (1997) New Delhi, New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. Lucy Peck (n.d.)
Delhi: a thousand years of building. Websites: ARCHITECTURE OF DELHI - Delhi-city in
conflict. 2013.
ONLINE :
http://sites.asiasociety.org/princesandpainters/design-of-delhi-edwin-lutyens/.
http://lutyensdelhi.blogspot.com/2014/05/lutyens-contributions-in-delhi.html
http://delhiarchitecture.weebly.com/delhi-city-in-conflict.html.

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The history of architecture

It was the renowned British Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens

1911 -BRITISH CAPITAL SHIFTED FROM CALCUTTA TO DELHI

1914- EDWIN LUTYEN WAS APPOINTED AS THE CHIEF ARCHITECT OF THE

1933- CONNAUGHT PLACE DESIGNED BY SIR ROBERT RUSSELL BECAME THE

1947- INDIA GAINS INDEPENDENCE AND A NEW MEANING IS GIVEN TO ALL

The primary concern for the transfer of capital from

Reasons for the shifting of the capital:

2020 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

He has been referred to as "the greatest British architect" and is known

2020 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

2020 | DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Lutyens had initially designed

Lutyens’ Delhi was planned on the most

1. The plan reflects Lutyens’ “transcendent fervour for geometric

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