Yashobhoomi convention centre in Delhi’s Dwarka wins International Architecture Award 2024 | Latest News Delhi

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It was inaugurated in September 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (HT Archive)

The Yashobhoomi Convention and Exhibition Centre in Dwarka, southwest Delhi, has won the International Architecture Award 2024 under the “Civic Centre” category, which will be presented next month at the historic Acropolis in Athens, Greece, a globally recognised landmark in architecture.

The prize is awarded by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, and The European Centre for Architecture Art, Design and Urban Studies.

Dikshu C Kukreja, managing principal of CP Kukreja Architects, which designed the centre, said: “Yashobhoomi embodies Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of positioning India as a leading global hub.”

Designed in collaboration with IDOM (Spain), Yashobhoomi spans 225 acres and has a built-up area of 2.2 million square feet. It was inaugurated in September 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The venue, built at a cost of ₹5,400 crore, features multiple exhibition halls, auditoriums and conference rooms to host trade and diplomatic events.

Kukreja said the Union ministry of commerce selected them for the global competition. The firm is renowned for designing the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Ambadeep Towers in Delhi. It was recently internationally recognised for designing the Madhya Pradesh state secretariat and Gautam Buddha University.

Recalling that the project’s conceptualisation involved close collaboration with retired IAS officer Amitabh Kant, who was also the G20 Sherpa, to ensure the facility could host high-profile gatherings, such as the G20 Summit.

After the award was announced, Kant thanked the Prime Minister on the social media platform X, “for the vision and opportunity to conceptualise and drive it as Secretary DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion)”.

What sets Yashobhoomi apart, Kukreja said, is its fusion of modern technology with traditional Indian identity. “It’s easy to copy global examples from Germany, Korea, or the US; but for me, it was essential to root the design in India’s ethos—through stepwell-inspired forms, jali screens, aangan-like light courts, and interiors steeped in Indian art and motifs.”

He said the exhibition hall spans an area equivalent to four football fields. The venue features a 100-metre column-free span and the world’s largest LED facade.

“The venue is also India’s first to incorporate retractable seating that can transform a 6,000-seater hall into a flat-floored multi-purpose space at the touch of a button,” he said.

Large venues like this often turn into “white elephants” due to a lack of versatility. “So, we ensured that the hall can have multiple uses,” he said.

Kukreja said sustainability was a core design priority, and this secured the Indian Green Building Council’s platinum rating. “Steel was chosen to minimise localised pollution. This ensured durability and lower carbon impact, while featuring recycled materials, locally sourced granite and marble, and off-site fabricated glass-reinforced concrete,” he said.

Kukreja said the award was more than personal recognition. “This is about India creating architecture the world talks about and respects.”

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