New Delhi Deputy Governor's Palace

• Edwin Lutyens
  (Photo: knebworthhouse)

  Construction time: 1912 - 1931
• Location: New Delhi, India

In April 1912, from the seat swaying on the back of the elephant, three middle-aged Britons in London at the beginning of the year were appointed by the standing Minister in charge of India, surveying mountain ranges, foothills and plains. around Delhi. They are looking for a place to build a new capital of the British Empire's largest colony. The decision to relocate the Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi, and to build a city of 30,000 people, including works for the Ministerial Office to manage the Self-Territory, as a major ornament, must ruled from the Vice King's Palace.

Authorized ones include Edwin Lutyens, the last architect to locate, 5 km southwest of Delhi, including the Raisina hill, with the top part of the equilibrium, the independent structure of the Vice Governor Wang bearing the same proportions as a palace must build a massive structure so perfect. From this palace a shaft runs to the sixth mosque (Jomma Masjid) in Shahjahanabad, the historical city of Mughal dynasty, and another axis, the axis of the King's or Rajpath's Path runs east, forming one A spacious communion path leading to the Deputy King's Palace.

Lutyens is probably a solid choice as an architect . In his generation, he stood out as the leading architect of England, designing many monumental residences for the elite business under King Edward as well as affirming the role of architect of the British Empire. Lord Herbert Baker, another prominent British architect is his colleague during this great expedition.

The path of the King - the axis of a highway heading west leading to the Deputy King's Palace,
with Jaipur Columns standing forward.

East and West

While designing the King's Palace on the transfer of cargo by steamboat between India and the studio in London, Lutyens could sketch what he saw and commented on his first trip to India in his life. One morning, he visited the Red Fortress in Delhi and rotated for a moving nozzle layout, to learn more about the audiovisual effect of the waterfall. Later this memory was transformed into his use of water throughout the city, and the most magnificent, in the waterlily nozzle inside his Mughal park and on the roof of the giant building where he renovated the motif of the bowl. Face down to create a bowl-shaped nozzle.

The advice is very much but not detailed, nor does it need to include what is claimed to be the local or traditional elements of Indian architecture such as the peak of India - Saracen, ant The architect only responds by not referring to the style books but returning to the first principle. Lutyens understands that in the harsh light of the Indian plains, color and shape are not important. Therefore he had to choose Mughal architecture by painting, following Chuja's invention, a thin ladder-like decoration covering a deep band of shadows and accentuating horizontal spread. of the facade.

"Liepens" - Lutyens uses a thin ladder-shaped floating block like a sword,
adapted from Chuja in Mughal architecture.

Lutyens made it even more striking by using the red-colored 2-color band - rhubarb Dohlpur to build the Deputy King's Palace and the two Baker's Ministry offices under sophisticated standards still attractive to this day.

The combined results of these elements together with his knowledge of Greek-Roman art theory are unique. The interplay between dense and hollow is dramatic, with more Italian proportions than the large openings needed to illuminate the interior of Northern Europe,

Lutyens handled the chattri in Mughal architecture, or the overhang on the roof, and the red stone Dohlpur. small window holes, deep inside also create a very convincing effect, the courtyard of the magnificent staircase under the roof of the bowl is open to watch the stars, the interweaving between the strips of land by terraces and awnings, the range columns and courtyards, creating a system of subcontinent types - all of which are convincingly solved in a single large-sized building with 340 rooms, but Lutyens is still available time to design baby-size furniture for kindergartens.

Beneath the giant overhanging roof, the most famous feature of the building is the circular Durbar room where the Viceroy's throne is located at the main gate. A collection of luxurious rooms, including the drawing room, ballroom, library and dining room are all located on the main floor. But this work is also intended as a house - in terms of massive size - sometimes up to 54 bedrooms.

Actual data:

• Area: 18,580m ²
• Length: 192m
• Number of rooms: 340
• Arch height: 50.5m
• Durbar Hall diameter: 22.8m
• The number of workers at peak construction: 23,000 men and women including 3000 stone workers.

Unfortunately between Lutyens and Baker generated antagonism, the most famous revolving around the issue of elevation. According to Baker's design, the road leading to and between the two buildings made the Ministry's office raised at a vertical slope and then leveled. As a result, when approaching the view from the east towards the King's Pass until the Government Court and the Vice Governor's Palace were severely violated: going to the end of the road only saw the upper part of the bowl tilted. Upon noticing this, Lutyens suggested the ramp to be redone, but his request was rejected.

The Grand Palace's grand staircase, with a gap above to allow the sunlight to shine in the daytime
and watching stars at night - an impressive layout suitable for festive occasions.

But this does not worsen architects' common achievements.When New Delhi was inaugurated in 1931, many guests in the Royal Family cried before the greatness of the project . Other planned capitals such as Chandigarh in the Bunjab state of Le Corbusier, and Brasilia were designed by Lucio Costa and his architect Oscar Niemeyer, but New Delhi is still in its own class, forever out of the short period of 14 years when the palace was used as magnificently as the British golden rule in India

Next to the west of the Deputy Palace, with the Mughal design park.