Surat's Diamond Bourse outpaces US's Pentagon to become worl

Surat, which produces 90% of the diamonds in the world, now has a magnificent structure to house its growing business. Over 65,000 diamond specialists, including cutters, polishers, and merchants, may be found at the freshly opened Surat Diamond Bourse. According to a study, it is anticipated to overtake the Pentagon as the biggest office building in the world with more than 7.1 million square feet of floor area. The bourse, a spectacular 15-story complex covering over 35 acres, has a distinctive layout of nine linked rectangular buildings that branch out from a central "spine." The Surat Diamond Bourse is anticipated to welcome its first tenants in November after four years of development that was stalled in part by Covid-related delays.

Later this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the ceremonial opening, which is slated. The bourse has about 4,700 office spaces, some of which double as modest workshops for cutting and polishing diamonds. 131 lifts, restaurants, retail, wellness, and conference spaces are also included in the plan. Mahesh Gadhavi, the project's CEO, emphasised the benefits of the Surat Diamond Bourse and how it will prevent thousands of people from making the daily commute by train to Mumbai for business. He called it a "better option" for carrying out diamond trading operations.

The Indian architectural company Morphogenesis, which took first place in a global design competition, was in charge of planning the building of the Surat Diamond Bourse. Demand defined the project's scale, and all offices were acquired by diamond businesses before the building started. Its structure is intended to level the playing field for both little and big firms. Through a central corridor that connects the workplaces, amenities and facilities are easily accessible. According to Sonali Rastogi, a co-founder of Morphogenesis, no workplace should need more than seven minutes to go there from any entry gate. This was part of the design's goal to assure equal accessibility for all inhabitants.

The firm's investigation into the Indian diamond trade had an impact on the building's architecture as well. Rastogi emphasised the complex's nine courtyards, which may be used by shopkeepers as informal gathering spots. These beautifully planted spaces, which evoke old bazaars, recognise the frequency of unofficial transactions occurring outside of the corporate setting. Rastogi referred to the courtyards as open-air recreation areas where a variety of activities are anticipated. Right now, the neighbourhood around it is low-rise. However, proposals for a sizable reconstruction known as "Dream City" might alter this environment. Almost 700 hectares of south Surat are to be transformed into a smart city as part of the ambitious plan, with the new diamond centre acting as an anchor tenant.