Railways shares future look of Delhi station, Twitter says ‘silly aesthetics’

As per the proposed plan, the New Delhi railway station – with a grand, futuristic look – will have a 40-storey twin tower, multi-level car parking, pick up and drop zones. The entire station will be built on an area of about 2,22,000 square metres.

The railways ministry on Saturday shared photos of the proposed futuristic, dome-shaped, glass building - the redeveloped New Delhi Railway Station - on Twitter, calling it 'making (of) a new era'. The design, however, has received mixed reactions from users.

The proposed plan of New Delhi railway station (NDLS), as shared by Union Ministry of Railways. (Twitter)

As per the proposed plan, the station will have a 40-storey twin tower, multi-level car parking, and pick-up and drop zones. The built up area will be about 2.22 lakh square metres.

The twin tower will house offices, retail shops and will also have space for a hotel. The railways will get its own office - 45,000 square metres. 91 bus bays, 1,500 ECS parking, skywalks for pedestrians and metro passengers will be developed on site.

While some welcomed the design for its 'state-of-the-art structure', others felt there was no need for such a complex design. Some also felt that the glass structure of the proposed building would radiate more heat during the scorching summer months in Delhi.

"Glass building in heat of new Delhi... Just wasting money on silly aesthetics to show vikas. No real utility," one user said. "Copy paste from Western structures without thinking about the weather conditions, this glass structure will need a small power plant to keep it cool…"

"My personal opinion: While I welcome this design, I feel that we can incorporate Indian culture in the interiors and walls. That will be a good mix of traditional and modern."

At the same time, there were others who appreciated the modern architecture. "This is what world-class infrastructure looks like," one user said. Another wrote: "UAE lag raha (Looks like UAE)"

The architectural expression of the proposed station boasts a style relatable to both historic and modern Indian culture to give it a unique identity, the Railways said in a statement.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has extended full support on behalf of his government and said he hoped the project was as aesthetically rich and beautiful as being presented.