Delhi - Modi vs Lutyens

A couple of months ago I went on a fascinating architectural journey. It started in Hyderabad in south India where I was speaking to the Indian Green Building Council’s annual conference. Hyderabad is one of the few major cities not occupied by the British so the buildings reflect the culture of the Persian rulers of the 16th and 17th century and the styles of the Nizams of Hyderabad who took over from the 18th. The conference was buzzing and full of enthusiasm to respond to the issues raised in the UN Climate Change Summit which had taken place the week before. ‘Greta’ was probably the most used reference thought the two days I was there. But there was another conversation: concerns about Indian Governments plans which would have a major impact on the central vista of Lutyens’ government complex in New Delhi. My host Srini Murthy, chair of the Architecture and Design Foundation, penned a letter of polite protest to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By happy coincidence I was due to attend the Lutyens Trust Banquet at the RIBA the following week. The event marked the 150th anniversary of the maestro’s  birth, the 75th anniversary of his death and the centenary of the cenotaph.​

I told Srini I would pass on his comments to the Trust and offer his support to their work, conscious that any direct comments from Britain might have just the opposite effect to that intended.

Immediately following my return from Hyderabad, I went to Prague to speak at a conference organised by the British Embassy - to celebrate 100 years of the embassy’s presence in the city.The conference was on sharing ideas about how you build new developments in historic cities. The great thing about Prague is its wonderful city centre, a homogenous and well preserved collection of fine buildings, bridges and monuments; the problem it faces is how to deliver positive change in the 21st century. The audience was interested to hear about the View Management Framework, opportunity areas and strategies incorporated in the new London London plan, but it was clear from presentations from the local planning authority that there is a more fundamental difference between the cultures of the two cities. They want new plans that respect the existing grid and height lines and continue the historic character of the city. Local architects - including Eva Jiricna and Victorie Soucek from Bogle Architects Prague office, want something more innovative.

Loyd Grossman gave a stirring speech at the Lutyens dinner about New Delhi: “… this is an architectural ensemble of immense international importance. Great importance to India; great importance to the UK, and loved all over the world ……. one has to realise that the government buildings that were created in  the 1920’s and 30’s are perhaps not ideal for  the government of the early 21st century.”

So true. And the problems that face New Delhi are founded in that conflict between a grand and immutable masterplan and the need for change. Prague faces the same issues. And that is the very success of London, central to its resilience over the centuries. We don’t have many fixed grand plans; we can adapt to changing circumstance. It is a characteristic that maybe doesn’t have the elegance and beauty of Prague or Lutyen’s Delhi but it is an approach to change that creates a very vibrant city and one that reflects our cult.As Stephen Schwatrzman, founder of Blackstone, the world’s most successful private equity firm told the Evening Standard recently “”Anglo-Saxon, English-speaking countries have always been good to invest in. They’re adaptable and flexible and find a way to succeed.”