Smart, Green and Future-Ready

The Thal Sena Bhawan - the Indian Army Headquarters - is a smart, green, and future-ready campus designed to cater to the needs of 5,600 personnel, with earthquake-resistant features, interactive corridors, optimised spaces, and efficient circulation areas. The 40-acre campus also includes a common library, a peaceful internal courtyard, water features, disabled-friendly design, and a parking space for 3,000 vehicles. A grand atrium and a parade road provide a spectacular entrance to the building, emphasising its significance as an institution of power, courage, pride, and confidence.

The design of the Thal Sena Bhawan, conceptualised by CP Kukreja Architects, was unveiled by the Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, amidst senior army personnel at the South Block on January 17, 2022. CP Kukreja Architects won the bid for the project through a national design competition held earlier this year.

The Thal Sena Bhawan is designed to the scale of the United States' Pentagon, with the state-of-the-art design envisioned as being 'Smart', 'Green', and 'Future Ready'. Dikshu Kukreja, Managing Principal of CP Kukreja Architects, says, “Taking inspiration from the different elements that represent the courage and strength of our Army and incorporating it into the campus' design, we hope that the project is an inspiration for future institutions of this nature.”

Spread over a sprawling 40-acre site and boasting of a vast built up area of 143,450 sqm, the Thal Sena Bhawan is a grand ground plus seven-story main building that spans a vast built-up area of 143,450 sqm, designed to cater to the needs of 5,600 personnel. The building conforms to Griha-IV norms and has been designed for building life for about 100 years. Additionally, it has also been designed to be earthquake-resistant.

The architectural firm has been inspired by the crest of the Indian Army, of two swords held together as a symbol of defence, headed by the four-headed Lion Capital, which depicts the four tenets of power, courage, pride, and confidence - further exemplified by the building's architecture. Furthermore, in a homage to New Delhi's North/South Block, the Thal Sena Bhawan has been planned with the East and West Wings to house the directorates as per their logistical requirements.

The design of the Thal Sena Bhawan includes a variety of features to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing campus. The campus has interactive corridors, optimized spaces, and efficient circulation areas that provide a welcoming and functional space for the army personnel. The building boasts of smart workstations and a fully networked operations room that enhances communication and improves work efficiency.

The Thal Sena Bhawan has a common library and features a peaceful internal courtyard for reflection, while water features add to the aesthetic appeal. Additionally, the building is disabled-friendly, ensuring that personnel have easy access to all areas of the campus. Along with a parking space for 3,000 vehicles, the campus also features a grand atrium and a parade road that provides a spectacular entrance to the building, with a VIP entrance for special guests.

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