Bharat Museum – New Delhi, India

Bharat Museum is an extraordinary offering to the people of India – a moment to reclaim these buildings for the nation and shape them for a new era where culture becomes the heart of the capital. Set within the historic Central Vista, this project transforms a symbol of governance into an open, shared landscape for the people of India.

The former imperial axis is recast into a spectacular public landscape – one of the largest sculpture parks in the world – where art, people and public life come together. It marks a shift towards culture, from rigid geometry to a fluid, people-focused space that unites the two buildings as a singular cultural experience.

Arrival is redefined through a sequence of spaces that move from city to garden to museum. After their journey through the sculpture park, visitors enter through a shaded courtyard where restored fountains, seating and informal café spaces offer a place to meet and wait in a cool and sheltered threshold before moving into the museum. A former garage courtyard is transformed into a hanging garden, opening views into the museum and revealing its life within.

The North and South Blocks are preserved in their grandeur yet given a new public role. Reimagined as a museum of the people, they tell the eternal story of Bharat – bringing together art, knowledge and memory within immersive, interconnected galleries.

The newly covered courtyards create immersive and reflective spaces for the visitors between the galleries. Light is pulled deep into the plan, shifting through the day to shape moments of contrast and intensity and bringing pace and rhythm to the visitor journey.