Smriti Kak Ramachandran The energy-efficient "Metro Bhawan' has been designed by Raj Rewal Modern Marvel: The Atrium of the new Metro Bhawan in New Delhi. NEW DELHI: When he envisioned a suitable new office space for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), noted architect and urban design consultant Raj Rewal wanted the structure to be an amalgamation of dynamism, sustainability and energy efficiency. Almost four years later now, DMRC's new address boasts of all three. The 37-metre-high "Metro Bhavan' built using hard-wearing "new materials' like glass, stainless steel and aluminium symbolises technology and movement and is energy-efficient. Dynamic design "DMRC is a very dynamic organisation and I wanted the building to reflect that. The challenge was to give them an iconic building that expresses the value of dynamism in a manner that is within the discipline of sustainability. At the same time, the concern was also to keep in mind global warming and therefore bring down the energy consumption,' he says. The building, now being readied for inauguration, has been so designed that it cuts the heat transmission by about 50 per cent. "The idea was to use the natural light of the sun and yet cut the glare. We have used sun breakers on the facade, that allow lesser absorption of the sun's heat,' explains Mr. Rewal whose repertoire includes the grand new Parliament Library Complex and the much talked about Asian Games Village apart from several prestigious assignments in Iran, China, France and Portugal. Orienting the building towards North and South that helps cut down temperature, keeping the glazed windows under shades to further cool the insides, installation of extra sunshades of lightweight stainless steel that form a protective girth around the north-south perimeter of the complex are according to Mr. Rewal the energy-efficient features of the building. "We have made arrangements to harvest water, ensured water wastage is minimised, and installed sensors to reduce the wastage of energy. There is a sense of community pervading inside, though offices are located on various floors. There is an auditorium, an atrium, and a cafeteria where people can gather.' To last a century Praising the DMRC Managing Director E. Sreedharan and his organisation for being "positive and forward-looking,' Mr. Rewal says the nine-storey complex that will house the crucial Operational Control Centre (OCC) has also been designed with the thought of it "being able to stay upright for the next hundred years.' He added that hard-wearing materials with permanent finish have been chosen for the building. Besides designated parking bays for over 200 cars, the building has elaborate security systems and a microprocessor-based management system for complete control of air-conditioning units. A major attraction of the complex, however, is the ten-storey-high atrium, lit with natural light and linking the floors from the ground to the roof. "There are no structural columns inside and the internal partitions can be modified to suit the needs,' sums up the architect who is a proud recipient of several awards including the gold medal from the Commonwealth Associations of Architects and the Indian Institute of Architects and, most recently, the "Chevalier des Art des Lettres' award of the French Government.