The controversial demolition of a concrete icon to build India's modern convention hub

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Bharat Mandapam stands as a massive, state-of-the-art convention center in New Delhi, unveiled in 2023 to host the G20 summit. Yet, its construction required the overnight destruction of the Hall of Nations, a celebrated architectural landmark, sparking intense legal battles and global outcry over the loss of heritage.

Bharat Mandapam is the centerpiece of a comprehensive redevelopment of the Pragati Maidan complex, a 123-acre site in Central Delhi. Conceptualized by the India Trade Promotion Organisation in 2015, the project aimed to create a world-class facility capable of hosting major international events. The resulting structure, built by the National Buildings Construction Corporation at a cost exceeding ₹2,600 crore, features a 390,000 square-meter built-up area, including a convention center that accommodates 7,000 people and six modern exhibition halls.

The site was previously home to the Hall of Nations, designed by architect Raj Rewal and inaugurated in 1972. As the world’s first and then-largest reinforced concrete space-frame structure, it was internationally acclaimed as a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture. When the government announced plans for its demolition to make way for the new convention center, it triggered widespread protests from architects, conservationists, and institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Centre Pompidou. Despite ongoing legal proceedings in the Delhi High Court, the structure was razed overnight in April 2017.

The legal justification for the demolition rested on guidelines from the Heritage Conservation Committee, which restricted heritage status to buildings at least 60 years old. Because the Hall of Nations did not meet this age threshold, the court found no legal basis to prevent its destruction. Officials argued that the site had outlived its utility, while critics, including historian Sohail Hashmi, alleged the demolition was politically motivated, particularly targeting the adjacent Nehru Pavilion. Prime Minister Modi, who inaugurated the new venue in July 2023, dismissed the opposition as temporary, asserting that the facility would eventually gain universal acceptance.

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