(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM)
A cultural revolution is on the horizon. In a landmark collaboration set to redefine the artistic heartbeat of the National capital, NBCC (India) Limited and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) have inked an agreement to transform the iconic Siri Fort Auditorium Complex, New Delhi into a next-generation cultural and cinematic powerhouse. This ambitious makeover will fuse India’s rich creative heritage with world-class infrastructure, promising a vibrant new chapter in the Nation’s cultural narrative. Nestled in the heart of South Delhi and spread across 5.5 acres, Siri Fort Auditorium has, for over 4 decades, been the beating heart of India’s artistic and cinematic expression. With its construction in 1982 during ASIAD with four auditoriums and combined seating of over 2,600, it has hosted everything from global film festivals and musical extravaganzas to high-powered public discourse. In its grand new avatar, the complex is envisioned as a vibrant cultural district, seamlessly integrating multiple creative domains. The Performance and Theatre District will serve as the venue’s cultural heartbeat, capable of hosting large-scale productions, concerts and festivals. The Indian Film & Media Hub will celebrate cinema through screenings, exhibitions and archival storytelling. A Convention and Dialogue Forum will act as a stage for policy summits, seminars, and intellectual exchange, while the Arts and Culture Zone will offer curated spaces for visual arts, sculpture, and installations. Adding to the visitor experience will be a Culinary Plaza that showcases India’s regional cuisines, a Cultural Bazaar and Retail Zone offering artisan products and book fairs and an Immersive Heritage Gallery, which will employ cutting-edge digital technology to bring India’s history and cultural legacy to life. The revamped Siri Fort will also feature intelligent lighting systems, kinetic stage architecture, immersive audio-visual setups, high-speed digital connectivity, and universal accessibility, ensuring it competes with the world’s top cultural destinations.Under the proposed design, Siri Fort’s built-up area will expand to more than 20000 square metres approximately, with a maximum permissible building height of 26 metres. The facility will be developed within a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.2 and will conform to international green building benchmarks such as LEED, IGBC, and GRIHA, reflecting India’s firm commitment to sustainable architecture and climate responsibility. NBCC will helm the project as the Project Management Consultant (PMC), overseeing all phases from master planning and architectural design to statutory approvals, engineering, construction, and commissioning. The redevelopment, to be carried out on a deposit work basis, will see NFDC reimbursing the actual project cost along with PMC charges. A Joint Empowered Committee, chaired by a designated NFDC officer and comprising officials from both NFDC and NBCC, will be tasked with monitoring project timelines, design approvals and overall execution. When the curtains rise once again at Siri Fort, it won’t just mark the beginning of a performance it will herald a renaissance in India’s cultural imagination.