Rajasthan House

The Government of Rajasthan is replacing its State Guest House on Prithviraj Road, in the Lutyens' Bungalow Zone of New Delhi. The old seven-storey building, with 60 rooms, is being taken down. The new Rajasthan House houses visiting state dignitaries, particularly during state visits and important events. ARCH-EN DESIGN won the 2018 design competition for the redevelopment, and prepared the master plan, the designs and the Design Basis Report for PWD Rajasthan, which is building it on EPC.

A courtyard from Rajasthan

The building is planned around a central atrium, the way a haveli is planned around its courtyard. Arcaded galleries with jaali screens, chhatri-domed pavilions, scalloped arches and a crenellated parapet carry Rajasthan's traditional architecture onto Prithviraj Road. The facade is dry-clad in red and beige Dholpur stone over cavity walls that keep out the Delhi heat.

Different guests arrive by different routes. The Chief Minister with VVIP and VIP guests, other guests, staff and services each have their own entrance, lift lobby and staircase, with services in the basement, so that each group keeps its privacy. The Chief Minister's suite, with its own office and conference room, is on the second floor.

What it holds

There are 89 rooms: 48 standard rooms, 31 VIP suites, 9 VVIP suites for office-holders such as the Chief Secretary and the Chief Justice, and the Chief Minister's suite. Guests arrive past a water-sheet fountain into a reception lobby that rises into the atrium. An elevated first-floor lounge opens onto a 24-seat conference room, a library and a gym, and an all-day dining hall with private dining seats 87. Staff live on site in 22 flats and a 40-bed dormitory. A terrace garden carries a yoga room and indoor games, and the two basements and forecourt park 164 cars.

Light on resources

The building is designed for at least a GRIHA 4-star rating, with rooftop solar panels, solar street lighting, double-glazed windows, an insulated roof, rainwater harvesting and a sewage treatment plant that recycles water for flushing and the gardens.