Aedas reveals plans to transform the Pragati Maidan, an important civic space in New Delhi, into an exhibition and convention centre intended as a new city icon. Transformed into a national exhibition space in 1972, the site located on the bank of Yamuna River and neighbouring a series of cultural and historical venues was the subject of a 2016 international design competition that sought a contemporary upgrade to the programme. Aedas’ and Arcop’s winning project proposes a circular convention centre framed by an extensive landscaped public space, capitalizing on accessibility.
The new International Exhibition & Convention Centre (IECC) will create over 100,000 sqm of exhibition space, with a capacity of 13.500 people. The circular convention centre features an elevated main hall, which frees the ground level, allowing for the emergence of an open-air amphitheatre. At the same time, the gesture creates the opportunity of an elevated perspective on the city, what the designers call “a new window to Delhi”. A ramp wraps around the building, facilitating access to the main hall and its back-of-house spaces.
The design team anchors the proposal in the Indian architectural tradition through locally sourced materials and elements such as the colonnade. The exhibition halls unfold across two-storey structures connected at ground level by pergolas. The civic plaza, designed to accommodate large crowds, comprises stepped platforms, trees and water features while providing an additional layer of amenities in the form of retail outlets. The slanted glass façade of the Convention centre reflects the surroundings, symbolically connecting the historic New Delhi with the new civic space of Pragati Maidan.
- Project: Integrated Exhibition & Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan
- Location: New Delhi, India
- Design Architects: Aedas Pte. Ltd. and Arcop Associates Pvt. Ltd. Consortium
- Gross Floor Area: 326,616 sq m
