After NMACC in Mumbai, Delhi to get a new cultural address

Close on the heels of the opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai, Delhi is set to get the country’s largest state-of-the-art cultural centre. The architectural model of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) was unveiled last weekend and will be on view for the public till May 28 at KNMA, Saket.

Spread over 100,000 square metres and designed by renowned Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye in collaboration with S. Ghosh & Associates, the cultural centre is expected to be ready by 2026. It is strategically located near the Indira Gandhi International Airport on National Highway 8 which connects Delhi with Mumbai.

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To mark the launch of the prototype, the KNMA has curated an exhibition showcasing artworks from the museum’s collection, spanning over a century. These include works of legendary artists Tyeb Mehta (1925-2009), Zarina (1937-2020), Nasreen Mohamedi (1937-1990) and a film Touch AIR (2023) by contemporary filmmaker Amit Dutta.

The KNMA was established in 2010 by art collector Kiran Nadar, as a pioneering private museum exhibiting modern and contemporary works from India and the subcontinent.  The museum’s collection of over 10,000 modern and contemporary works draws on the region’s rich cultural history.

Kiran Nadar with David Adjaye (Source: Special Arrangement)

The new KNMA will host changing exhibitions, permanent displays, and performances as an international cultural destination for visual arts, music, dance, and theatre. The idea is to make it a vibrant hub for culture, creativity and artistic exploration, says KNMA founder and chairperson Kiran Nadar, who conceived the new space as a cultural powerhouse accessible to all. “It will be a place for cultural discovery, a place for confluence and diverse conversations, with a high engagement across a broad range of audiences, she adds.

As part of the Curator’s Special Projects, the architectural model was also unveiled simultaneously at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia on May 20.