A major photographic exhibition being held at the British Council in New Delhi in October has as its theme “Rashtrapati Bhavan in context – The Work of Sir Edwin Lutyens, O.M.” Sponsored by BP (formerly known as British Petroleum), it has involved cooperation between the Lutyens Trust in the UK, the British Council/British High Commission, INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and the office of the President of India.

Edwin Landseer Lutyens [1869-1944] started work as an architect in his 20th year. As he worked persistently, with very little time for other interests, his output was extremely large. He designed more than three dozen major English country houses and altered and added to many more.

He designed the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, and other memorials for the dead of World War I, built the Viceroy’s House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan) in New Delhi, the British Embassy in Washington, the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool (northern England), and Johannesburg Art Gallery in South Africa.

Lutyens also engaged himself in more light-hearted activities and delightful minor projects, such as Queen Mary’s Dolls House, now in Windsor Castle, and designs for furniture and stage settings.

Baker as collaborator

Lutyens, born in London, set sail in March 1912 on the first of numerous journeys to India, to investigate the site and plan the city of New Delhi. He had as  collaborator another English architect and contemporary, Herbert Baker (who also designed the Bank of England building in London and Rhodes House at Oxford). 

The evolution of  Lutyens’ early work and its impact on the design of what is now Rashtrapati Bhavan is the main focus of the current exhibition, opening on October 6 and running until the end of the month. A large group from the UK – including architects, architectural historians and some members of the Lutyens family – is visiting Delhi especially for the occasion.

The Delhi exhibition has three key themes:  Lutyens as a planner, in terms of cities, houses and gardens;  Lutyens as an architect – his buildings and his way of  building; and Lutyens as a craftsman.

Although the centrepiece is Rashtrapati Bhavan and its immediate surroundings, Lutyens’ gardens and garden city designs feature in the exhibition, which also includes key houses and  major government and corporate work.

Influence interplay

BP, the sponsor of the exhibition, says one of the exhibition’s key themes is the interplay of influences in both directions: the deep influence of India (and her strong aesthetic traditions) on the work of Lutyens, as well as the influence of British architectural traditions on India’s capital city. Another underlying theme is the question of how to bring environmental consideration into the work of urban planning.

“We see resonance with some of the work we are doing, whether looking at the provision of cleaner fuels for cities, or looking to promote the use of  integrated photovoltaic solar panels,” says BP.

At Rashtrapati Bhavan, Lutyens incorporated Indian features and used local building materials in the same manner as he had drawn upon the craftsmanship and style of older buildings in England. Similarly, his work in Delhi is brilliantly crafted by Indian workmen using traditional skills.

Lutyens was an early environmentalist. He showed foresight in creating the substantial green spaces in New Delhi, planted with carefully chosen trees. These act as a ‘green lung’ for the city. Besides Rashtrapati Bhavan, Lutyens’ other projects in New Delhi included the Palace of the Nizam of Hyderabad ( later called Hyderabad House) and the War Memorial Arch, now known as India Gate, a popular tourist  spot.

Lutyens was first knighted in 1918 for his work in Delhi, and later (in 1941) was awarded the Order of  Merit (OM) – the first time an architect had received this high honour. He passed away on New Year’s Day in 1944.  

The Lutyens Trust, founded in 1984 as an educational charity, acts as a source of information and help on the care and maintenance of the works of the great architect.

The exhibition is being held at the British Council premises, 17, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi - 110001. Ph: 011-23711401.                                         

The author can be contacted at narayanan28@gmail.com