Rashtrapati Bhavan

New Delhi, India: Presidential House (Rashtrapati Bhavan)

Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the president of India. Located in New Delhi, it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and constructed 1913–30.

When the Rashtrapati Bhavan was built, it was known as the Viceroy’s House, its name derived from the British viceroys who ruled India in the final years of the Raj. Its construction followed the decision to move the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. The principal architects of the new city were Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. The Rashtrapati Bhavan is located at the Raisina Hill end of the long, formal Raj Path, which runs from India Gate. Lutyens wanted the processional approach to be gradually inclined, focusing on the house’s dome, but Baker was allowed to retain the level space between his two Secretariat Buildings, which frame the Raj Path. Lutyens was upset by this decision; he called it his “Bakerloo.” Today, though, the approach to the house reveals itself dramatically as you crest the hill, so perhaps Baker’s decision was the right one.

This palatial house consists of four wings and a central block capped by a copper dome 177 feet (54 m) high. Thirty-two broad steps lead to the portico and the main entrance of the Durbar Hall. The hall is a circular marble court, 75 feet (23 m) across. Off this are wings containing private apartments, 54 bedrooms, accommodation for more than 20 guests, offices, kitchens, a post office, and courtyards and loggias. The house is 600 feet (183 m) long. It covers 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) and used 9.8 million cubic feet (279,000 cu m) of stone. The colors of the stone are subtle and carefully considered: the lower parts are in deep red sandstone, the upper parts cream. A thin red stone line is inserted at the parapets, which contrasts strikingly with the blue sky. The Moghul Gardens—designed by Lutyens, working with William Robertson Mustoe—are patterned geometrically with red and buff sandstone.