Arcop Associates consortium’s successful bid has set the ball rolling for the world’s largest museum project, the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum. Combining North and South Blocks, the museum is part of the Central Vista project flanking Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. It will replace the archaic, poorly managed National Museum with 950 galleries spanning a staggering 1,17,000 square metres. This is expected to be a fast-paced initiative with a possible first-phase opening in late 2026 or early 2027.

The challenges ahead would include an assessment of adaptive use of heritage premises and curating collections associated with content requiring a deep understanding of India through the millennia, with its rich multi-ethnic, multi-lingual traditions.

Museums are souls of civil societies. As Indi

See Full Page