India is developing the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum in New Delhi, which is set to become the world's largest museum upon completion. The project is a centerpiece of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. The museum will span approximately 154,000 to 155,000 square meters, surpassing the Louvre in Paris (approx. 73,000 square meters) as the world's largest.
Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum will house roughly 950 rooms across a basement, ground floor and two upper storeys. The museum is expected to display between 80,000 and 100,000 artefacts sourced from the current National Museum, state museums and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The content will be divided into eight thematic segments covering over 5,000 years of Indian civilisation, including Ancient Indian Knowledge, the Freedom Struggle and India post-1947. The museum will be housed in the iconic North and South Blocks on Raisina Hill, which currently/formerly served as the administrative heart of the government (housing the PMO, Ministry of External Affairs, Finance and Home).
The project follows an adaptive reuse model. The British-era heritage buildings, designed by Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens, are being preserved and restored to their original architectural form rather than being demolished. India has partnered with France for technical expertise, specifically with France Muséums, leveraging their experience in managing similar historical transformations.
The inaugural gallery, expected to be titled Time and Timelessness, is slated to open by the end of 2026 in the North Block. The entire project is being rolled out in phases over the next three years (estimated full completion by 2028-2029). Other higlights inlcude a proposed underground tunnel to connect the North and South Blocks and universal accessibility for persons with disabilities.
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