LIC Building, New Delhi, India
Published 12 December 2020
The gist: Charles Correa’s Jeevan Bharati makes an office complex a transition between Connaught Place’s colonnades and Delhi’s taller skyline. Two office wings rise above shopping and restaurants, joined by a long pergola. Faceted glazing reflects the surrounding streetscape, giving the building an urban role beyond its commercial brief.
Location: Jeevan Bharati, Tower II, 124, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Year built: 1986
Architect: Charles Correa
The Life Insurance Corporation’s Jeevan Bharati office complex in Connaught Place was designed by Charles Correa. Correa was considered India’s greatest modern architect, receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1980 and a Royal Gold Medal in Architecture in 1984.
The building marks a transition between Connaught Place’s colonnades and the high-rise development around them. Faceted glass reflects nearby buildings and trees, allowing the surrounding city to become part of its architecture.
Two office wings sit above shopping decks and restaurants on the lower levels. A 98-metre pergola connects the wings, establishing a strong architectural relationship between the separate parts of the complex.
