India and France on Thursday signed an agreement towards the “adaptive reuse” of the North and South Blocks for the ambitious new National Museum project, the world’s largest museum. It is part of the Central Vista redevelopment project and is spread over about 1.55 lakh square meters, surpassing The Louvre in Paris, currently the largest in the world.
It will be implemented in two phases – the first involves retrofitting the museum space in North Block with an estimated deadline of June 2026 – officials told The Indian Express. Preliminary mapping of the building has been done in consultation with France’s museum development authorities, who will advise on best practices for reusing heritage buildings without disrupting their character, they said.
As part of the agreement, India and France are collaborating on a comprehensive feasibility study, including museum case studies, interpretive planning, and a construction program. “France’s expertise in museum development, exemplified by the Grand Louvre, will play a decisive role in shaping this project,” said Union Culture Minister Gajendra Shekhawat.
explained
Adaptive reuse mirrors France’s ‘Grands Projects’ initiative
Under the Central Vista scheme, the North Block – which currently houses the offices of the Finance and Home Ministries – and the South Block will be shifted to the common Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings on Janpath. The north block is likely to be vacated by March 2025, while the south block, which houses the prime minister’s office and the foreign ministry, will be vacated and ready in due course, officials said.
After it is vacated in the next three months, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) will restore the North Block to its original condition by removing all the additions made over the years and renovating the dilapidated high-use areas. The British inaugurated New Delhi in 1931. The North Block had about 400 rooms to begin with, but over the years partitions were added and the number doubled. CPWD will issue tenders for rehabilitation of North Block soon.
Speaking on the occasion, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India and France see each other as important poles in this multipolar world, calling them “very strong ties”. “When you hear India and France talk about how we see the world in our own way, not necessarily how others want to define it, it’s our history and heritage that gives us the confidence to take those positions. So as we deepen our cultural cooperation , we are actually also engaging in a special kind of relationship that we believe will create a new and more democratic world government,” Jaishankar added.
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