Herbert Baker in the context of "Secretariat Building, New Delhi"

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⭐ Core Definition: Herbert Baker

Sir Herbert Baker (9 June 1862 – 4 February 1946) was an English architect remembered as the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, and a major designer of some of New Delhi's most notable government structures. He was born and died at Owletts in Cobham, Kent.

Among the many churches, schools and houses he designed in South Africa are the Union Buildings in Pretoria, St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, St. John's College, Johannesburg, the Wynberg Boys' High School, Groote Schuur in Cape Town, and the Champagne Homestead and Rhodes Cottage on Boschendal, between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch. With Sir Edwin Lutyens he was instrumental in designing, among other buildings, Parliament House, and the North and South Blocks of the Central Secretariat, all in New Delhi, which in 1931 became the capital of the British Raj, as well as its successor states the Dominion of India and the Republic of India. In 1928 he also designed the European School, Nairobi, the original co-education primary school of both Nairobi School and The Kenya High School. His other prominent works include the East African Railways Headquarters, Government House and the administration building at the then Prince of Wales School in Nairobi. His tomb is in Westminster Abbey.

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Herbert Baker in the context of Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi

The Rashtrapati Bhavan (pronunciation, ISO: Rāṣṭrapati Bhavana; lit.'Presidential Palace'; formerly Viceroy's House (1931–1947) and Government House (1947–1950) is the official residence of the president of India, located at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill in New Delhi.

The building was designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in Delhi Order based on Indo-Saracenic architecture. The construction began in 1912 and the building was completed in 1929. The building was called as Viceroy's house after the Viceroy of India occupied the building in 1931. After Indian independence, it briefly served as the Government House, which housed the Governor General of India from 1947 to 1950. When India became a republic, it became the residence of the president of India, and was rechristened as Rashtrapati Bhavan.

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Herbert Baker in the context of Sir Edwin Lutyens

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens OM KCIE PRA FRIBA (/ˈlʌtjənz/ LUT-yənz; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memorials and public buildings. In his biography, the writer Christopher Hussey wrote, "In his lifetime (Lutyens) was widely held to be our greatest architect since Wren if not, as many maintained, his superior". The architectural historian Gavin Stamp described him as "surely the greatest British architect of the twentieth (or of any other) century".

Lutyens played an instrumental role in the construction of New Delhi, which would later on serve as the seat of the Government of India. In recognition of his contribution, a part of New Delhi is known as "Lutyens' Delhi". In collaboration with Sir Herbert Baker, he was also the main architect of several monuments in New Delhi such as the India Gate; he also designed the Viceroy's House, which is now known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan.Many of his works were inspired by Indian architecture. He was elected Master of the Art Workers' Guild in 1933.

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Herbert Baker in the context of Old Parliament House, New Delhi

The Old Parliament House, officially known as the Samvidhan Sadan (Constitution House), was the seat of the Parliament of India between 26 January 1950 and 18 September 2023. It housed the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha (the lower and upper houses) respectively in India's bicameral parliament for nearly 73 years. Earlier it had served as the seat of the Imperial Legislative Council between 18 January 1927 and 15 August 1947, and the Constituent Assembly of India between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950.

The building was designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and was constructed between 1921 and 1927. It was opened in January 1927 as the seat of the Imperial Legislative Council and was known as the Council House. Following the Indian Independence in 1947, it was taken over by the Constituent Assembly of India, and then became the seat of the Indian Parliament on 26 January 1950 with India becoming a republic following the adoption of the Indian Constitution.

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Herbert Baker in the context of Central Vista Redevelopment Project

Central Vista Redevelopment Project is the ongoing redevelopment of the Central Vista, India's central administrative area located near Raisina Hill, New Delhi. Designed and constructed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker during British rule as the seat of the imperial government, the area was retained by the Government of India following independence. Scheduled for completion between 2020 and 2026, the project seeks to transform the 3 km (1.9 mi) stretch of Rajpath spanning from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate into a modern, pedestrian-friendly boulevard. Key components include the construction of a new Parliament building with increased seating capacity, a new Central Secretariat to house all ministries, and new official residences and offices for the Prime Minister and Vice President near the North and South Blocks. The existing North and South Blocks will be converted into publicly accessible museums, along with the adaptive reuse of other historic structures.

The redevelopment project is estimated to cost around ₹13,450 crore (approximately ₹160 billion or US$1.9 billion as of 2023), with expenses spread over a four-year period.

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Herbert Baker in the context of Robert T. A. Innes

Robert Thorburn Ayton Innes FRSE FRAS (10 November 1861 – 13 March 1933) was a British-born South African astronomer best known for discovering Proxima Centauri in 1915, and numerous binary stars. He was also the first astronomer to have seen the Great January Comet of 1910, on 12 January. He was the founding director of a meteorological observatory in Johannesburg, which was later converted to an astronomical observatory and renamed to Union Observatory. He was the first Union Astronomer. Innes House, designed by Herbert Baker, built as his residence at the observatory, today houses the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers.

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Herbert Baker in the context of Winchester College War Cloister

The Winchester College War Cloister is a war memorial at Winchester College, in Hampshire, designed by the architect Sir Herbert Baker. The roofed quadrangle is said by Historic England to be the largest known private war memorial in Europe. It became a Grade II listed building in 1950, and was upgraded to Grade I in 2017, as one of 24 war memorials in England designed by Baker that were designated by Historic England as a national collection.

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