Siri Fort auditorium set for major facelift

Nestled in the heart of South Delhi and originally built for the 1982 Asian Games, the Siri Fort complex has long served as the Capital’s premier venue for film screenings, music concerts, and policy events.

Immersive cinema experiences, archival exhibitions, film screenings, and arts and culture zones — the iconic Siri Fort Auditorium, a landmark of Delhi’s cultural and cinematic history, is poised for transformation of this kind to turn it into one of India’s most advanced and vivid creative spaces.

A view of the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi. (Hindustan Times)

On Thursday, taking a step towards this goal, NBCC (India) Limited and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to redevelop the four-decade-old complex into a next-generation cultural district.

Nestled in the heart of South Delhi and originally built for the 1982 Asian Games, the Siri Fort complex has long served as the Capital’s premier venue for film screenings, music concerts, and policy events. With its four auditoriums and over 2,600 seats, it has hosted a range of events from international film festivals to national cultural showcases. Now, officials say, it is time for the structure to evolve with the times.

“The re-envisioned Siri Fort will be more than a performance venue — it will be a multidimensional cultural campus, officials said. Plans include creation of zones for different activities, and area expansion,” an NBCC official said.

According to a press note shared, the revamped structure will have a “performance and theatre district” for concerts, theatre productions and festivals. It will also have an “Indian Film and Media Hub” for immersive cinema experiences, archival exhibitions, and film screenings, officials aware of the matter said.

There will also be a separate convention and dialogue forum for seminars, policy summits and public discourse.

An arts and culture zone will be set up for sculptures and visual art. Additionally, there are plans for a culinary plaza to bring together regional cuisines. A “cultural bazaar and retail zone” has also been planned, and is likely to feature artisan crafts, book fairs and pop-ups. Finally, an immersive heritage gallery is also planned that will employ cutting-edge digital technology to showcase India’s historical and cultural legacy.

“The revamped Siri Fort will also feature intelligent lighting systems, kinetic stage architecture, immersive audio-visual setups, high-speed digital connectivity, and universal accessibility, ensuring it competes with the world’s top cultural destinations,” an official aware of the details said.

NBCC officials also said that the complex will comply with top international green building certifications, including LEED, IGBC and GRIHA.

Spread across 5.5 acres, the redeveloped Siri Fort will have a built-up area exceeding 20,000 square metres, officials added.

The complex will follow a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1:2, and will allow for structures up to 26 metres in height. The entire project will be executed on a deposit work basis, with NFDC reimbursing the actual construction cost along with project management charges.

“NBCC will lead the project end-to-end, from master planning and architectural design to approvals, engineering, and final commissioning. A Joint Empowered Committee, chaired by an NFDC official, will oversee execution, timelines, and coordination,” officials added.

The transformation is expected to cement Siri Fort’s role as a cultural linchpin, not just for Delhi, but for India.

“When Siri Fort reopens its doors, it won’t just be another venue,” said an NFDC representative. “It will be a statement — that India is ready to lead the cultural conversations of the 21st century.”

When the curtains rise once again at Siri Fort, it won’t just mark the beginning of a performance, it will herald a renaissance in India’s cultural imagination, officials added.