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Technology and Structure

The domes are perhaps the building's most significant feature. Several domes of different sizes and types make up the roof and benefit from Rewal's experiments in earlier buildings.

The central dome, spanning 82 feet (25 meters), is entirely of glass that was specially developed for this building. The intense heat and glare of New Delhi, with summer temperatures rising to over 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Centigrade), make conventional glass impractical for skylights.

Yet Rewal insisted on using glass to let in light. Conventional reflective glass reduces glare and heat build-up, and this specially developed glass is claimed to be still more efficient in resisting heat transfer. The result: almost magical views of the blue sky, of the sun minus its heat and glare, and of the seasonal monsoon clouds.

This dome reminds you that you are standing at the intersection of the building's two main axes. The point of intersection projects up in the dome in the form of two bands formed by the structural frame for the glass panels. The remainder of the dome consists of a lattice of structural frames held together by a network of steel cables converging at key tension nodes.

Other domes are made of thin fiber-reinforced concrete shells, sometimes with inset glass panels. Tensile forces are transferred through tubular steel members.

Other structural elements of the building are of reinforced concrete. The slabs are coffered to support long spans. The diaphragm walls and the foundation slab of the underground structure resist inward and upward pressure from the water table through anchors into the surrounding soil and the rocky substrate.

Traditional Craft — Modernist Idiom

Some Eastern architects are exploring ways to merge traditional architectural forms and modernism. One such attempt is Rewal's use of handcrafted stone grills, or jalis. In precolonial Indian architecture, jalis were used for decoration and to separate the outside from the inside, to diffuse the harsh sunlight, and to visually and audibly connect two spaces while physically separating them.

Sadly, the lack of patronage for Indian craftsmanship by the British during their nearly 200-year colonial rule almost destroyed the rich tradition. Rewal has introduced craftsmen to modern tools and chemicals hoping that they will revive the tradition. In the Parliament Library, jalis are integrated artfully, creating a typically Indian look.

Rewal's search for a contemporary Indian identity does not stop there. The building typology and the spirituality associated with the mandala are quintessentially Indian. He has created contemporary Indian architecture that uses innovative technology to express both modernity and regionalism with connections to the physical surroundings and to a venerable history.

Raj Jadhav is an architect, author, researcher, and educator, currently living in Mumbai, India. For his theoretical exploration of contemporary Indian architectural identity, he received a national award for outstanding research presented by The Journal of the Indian Institute of Architects and another award from Kansas State University.

Client: Lok Sabha Secretariat, Government of India
Architect: Raj Rewal Associates, New Delhi
Landscape Design: Satish Khanna
Structural and Electrical Design: Central Public Works Department, Government of India
Project Management: Central Public Works Department, Government of India
Construction Agency: Larsen & Toubro Ltd., ECC Construction Division

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The Parliament Library in New Delhi, India by architect Raj Rewal. Photo: Raj Rewal Associates One of the courtyards was designed as an amphitheater to symbolize freedom of expression. Photo: Raj Rewal Associates The glass dome above the central core. Photo: Raj Rewal Associates Colored marble floor pattern in the form of a yantra, an ancient Indian graphic that aids meditation. Photo: Raj Rewal Associates Section looking west, through the VIP entrance lobby (left), the central core, and the 1075-seat auditorium. Image: Raj Rewal Associates First floor plan. Image: Raj Rewal Associates The glass dome above the central core admits soft natural light and provides a magnificent view of the sky without introducing excessive heat gain. Photo: Raj Rewal Associates The ceiling of the entrance hall as seen from the ground floor. Daylight enters through square glass panels set among shallow domes. Photo: Raj Rewal Associates   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.