Firm behind Sabarmati riverfront beats five others to bag Lutyens’ Delhi revamp project

The Delhi redevelopment project entails sprucing up of Rajpath, retrofitting of the Parliament, and demolition and reconstruction of the Central Vista bhawans. The sanction cost or consultancy fee amounts to Rs 229.75 crore, against the estimated cost of Rs 448 crore.
“I can say with full degree of confidence that all six companies submitted bids, which I can only describe as each better than the other,” said Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Bimal Patel said: “HCP’s design philosophy is to focus on solving practical problems so as to make deeply meaningful structures. It always wants to ensure excellence in design, and robust high quality construction. The Parliament and Central Secretariat will be iconic but also highly functional. We wish that the design will say that we are proud and secure about our past, and confidently facing our future.”

Patel’s firm, which had worked on the new IIM-Ahmedabad building, is currently involved with the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi.
Early September, the CPWD had submitted a request for proposal of the project online and 24 firms showed interest. Finally, six bidders emerged, who faced a six-member jury, headed by Professor P S N Rao, director of School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) and Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC).

Apart from HCP, the other bidders were CP Kukreja Architects, Sikka Associates Architects, INI Design Studio, Arcop Associates Pvt Ltd and Architect Hafeez Contractor. “Bids were evaluated with 80% weightage to technical score and 20% to financial score,” said Prabhakar Singh, director, CPWD.

Some of the aspects that will be taken care of by the firm include developing the new master plan of the Central Vista, traffic integration, air quality management and green construction.

Puri said the firm will hold extensive public consultations with all stakeholders, and that the plans may be put up online for all to see: “The secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is also meeting those who were not awarded the tender. We will try to factor in their ideas as well.”

He reiterated that “at no stage was it suggested that old heritage buildings be reconstructed… In none of the designs was there ever an idea to demolish the existing Parliament… I still don’t know what we will do with the North-South blocks.”
An official said heritage specialists and traffic experts will also be consulted, and green cover will not be compromised.
MoHUA secretary Durga Shankar Mishra said “… in 2022, the Parliament will be held in a new building.”