New bamboo-themed convention centre set to come up at Delhi’s Baansera

A bamboo-themed park near Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi is set to have a 3,000 sq ft convention centre made entirely from bamboo.

Baansera, the bamboo-themed park near Sarai Kale Khan, is set to have a 3,000 square foot convention centre made entirely from bamboo, officials aware of the proposal said on Wednesday.

An artist’s impression of the proposed convention centre. (HT Photo)

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NBCC Limited on June 3 floated a tender for the convention centre, and last week hired a contractor to prepare the designs, drawings, technical specifications and tender documents for the proposed building. The project is expected to be completed within six months at an estimated cost of ₹2.11 crore, an NBCC official said.

The scope of work says, “India is the second largest producer of bamboo in the world and has a vast knowledge base and many artisans working with this natural material. NBCC is desirous of constructing a sustainable building using this natural and local material to demonstrate its usability in a modern, contemporary building.”

The centre will be air-conditioned and will comprise a meeting hall and an interpretation room. “The contractor will start work soon after going through the conceptual design. There will be a large hall and smaller meeting rooms may be added inside. Details are being finalised,” the NBCC official quoted above said.

Divya Kush, a former president of the Indian Institute of Architects, said, “Bamboo is definitely a sustainable construction material and can be used for strong long-lasting structures if designed intelligently. In fact, it is extensively used for constructing a variety of structures in northeast India. However, the sourcing of bamboo for construction purposes can significantly impact the overall sustainability in lieu of carbon footprint of transporting the material. As such it is essential to procure bamboo locally, and ensure truly sustainable construction.”

Situated along the western banks of the Yamuna over an area of 28 acres, Baansera features over 15 varieties of 30,000 bamboo plants. The park was thrown open for the public on September 23.

After inaugurating a musical fountain at the park on September 22, lieutenant governor VK Saxena had said, “The people of Delhi deserve more such entertainment spots, where they can enjoy their evenings with family. We continuously try to add such spots in the city. This entire area was a complete wasteland that has been developed by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) within the last six-seven months.”

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He had also announced that a convention centre will soon come up at the park. “This convention centre will be yet another important location in the city where business meetings and summits can be held,” he LG had said.