The Memorial is visualised within the context of the Central Vista and c-hexagon. Running east-west, the Central Axis is reinforced by the primary spine of the design, which occupies Lawns II & Ill. Articulated in red sandstone, this axis aligns the Memorial's ceremonial column and hub with the hexagon's central Chattri and India Gate beyond. Commemorating specific battles that epitomise the gallantry of Indian forces, a tree-lined pedestrian broadwalk girdles the monument's eastern edge. To the west, a linear water cascade and memorial avenue ascends toward India Gate that, as a result, remains in clear sight.

Secondary cross axes are formed with the fountains located on either side of India Gate. At the two focal points, are envisioned powerfully figurative commissioned sculptures that represent known military martyrs.

From the lawns, two wide slopes drop down gradually to the wide entrance forecourt of the Memorial, where the underground tunnel connected to the proposed museum, as well as the pedestrian ramps from the eastern broadwalk, emerge.

Transplantations and fresh plantations of trees are envisaged along the footpath at the periphery of Lawns II & Ill. The lawns themselves are intended to continue as open public greens (maidans) that are very precious urban assets to Delhi.

The memorial is ensconced in a 71m wide sanctum sunk 7m below road level. From the surrounding lawns, it may be approached by two wide, sloped aisles; an underground tunnel connected to the proposed museum and a pair of pedestrian ramps dropping down from the eastern public broad-walk. The latter two lead in through a sunken court, around which are housed support facili­ties. One enters from a forecourt cupped by a gently arcing theatre of risers, into a 12m wide ambulatory fenced by 24 markers bearing plaques of dharmic exem­plars. Past these lies a sweeping vista of 24 radial monoliths. Twelve of these are pools of placid water, gently ascending from under 1m to just over 2m in height, reflecting the presence of the armed forces in peacetime. They are arrayed in a visually porous ceremo­nial plaza, whose cynosure is a tall, tapering, self-supported glass column. This spire shoots upward above an eternal flame that burns on a plinth of stacked glass. Mirroring the pools, the other 12 monoliths rise to a height of 8.5m, their walls bearing the names of the mar­tyrs in smooth light marble tiles. Water cascades in black granite flow down toward the central column, evoking the movement and tumult of wartime. The spaces between these 12 skyward monoliths form inti­mate avenues that allow a more personal remembrance of martyred kith and kin.

On the west, toward India Gate, the retaining gabion wall cleaves open to a 10m wide and 100m long water cas­cade in red sandstone, rising back up to road level. Thick yellow and red sandstone form the primary floor­ing material - ensuring enough thermal mass to absorb incidental solar thermal gain during the summer day, and releasing it by night when footfall is low.

The memorial draws the visitor through its swirling landscape into a reflective embrace. The C-Hexagon sees bustling with traffic at the periphery of the lawns being the fastest moving. The design gently filters out pedestrians into its quiet premises through the eastern broadwalk that serves as a linear collector for pedestrians, crossing from the other side of the road. Peripheral pedestrian movement is further encouraged by the plantation of shade providing trees along it. Private vehicular and para-transit movement is directed to the two parking lots existing north and south of the Chhatri where appropriate drop-offs have been provided.

An exclusive special movement path for VVIP motorcades or cavalcades is also envisaged. These will drive all the way down to the forecourt along the wide motorable access slopes via the mountable curb provided at the Chhatari rotary. The conduct of ceremonies with due gravitas and solemnity is the essence of the memorial design. The layout of forms in the design allow for a fan-like arrangement of 6 buglers and an 18 member ceremonial guard at the ceremonial column. Appropriate arrangements for the movement and static positions of various dignitaries including the Hon’ble President, Prime Minister and Raksha Mantri have been made in the design for wreath laying ceremonies. As these arrangements are radial, all ceremonies can be filmed for live broadcast from multiple camera angles without requiring crews to be unduly close to the principal participants in the ceremony. Further, the design lends itself to stunning aerial shots.

The landscape design is detailed for both climatic performance as well as contextual suitability.

The water bodies are designed to provide adiabatic evaporative cooling, dropping the ambient air temperature significantly during the summer through natural evaporation that would increase the moisture content in the air as well. In the humid months, the ventilation is enhanced by a simple heat exchanger and ventilator. Installed within the water reservoir below ground, the system uses natural temperature difference (air to water) to drive a gentle breeze through the center of the ceremonial plaza.

While the sanctum is timeless, the tree-lined Eastern Broadwalk girdling the monument's road edge is designed to be a legible timeline, commemorating specific battles that epitomise the gallantry of Indian forces. The timeline is marked by periodic change in paver stone and commemorative signage along the kerb.

Lighting and Drainage Plans

Geometry and significance: The topological conti­nuity of the curving shape is articulated in the design as a metaphor for the infinite turning of the Dharmachakra wheel. Technically, a mobius band is defined as a non-orientable surface with one con­tinuous side formed by joining the ends of band after twisting one end through 180°.

Function: The canopy structure encircles the Me­morial plaza, providing rain cover and shade to the wide ambulatory passage along the monument's periphery. It serves also to visually frame and connect the sunken core of the Memo­rial with the surrounding landscape, creating a dynamic skyline from within the space.

Structural system: The mobius canopy of the memo­rial is made of gunited concrete sprayed on a continu­ous twin helical foil arrangement of mild steel frames that are cross-braced every 4m. The entire system is held 1m above the retaining wall on a continuously undulating arrangement of twin mild steel pipe sec­tion struts.

The sanctum is guarded by 6.5 m tall, framing structures, 12 monoliths in stone and 12 fin clusters in gunmetal, that hold aloft discs bearing the 24 dharmic exemplar qualities. They ring the ambulatory, segregating it from the memorial avenues and ceremonial plaza respectively, Conceptually the two types carry forward the notion of the armed forces in times of war and peace respectively. The sleek metallic fins provide visual porosity to the ceremonial plaza and represent how the armed forces afford our democratic nation its freedoms and alleviate the periodic calamities. The solid monoliths in stone, on the other hand, block visual access to the memorial avenues, for privacy, representing stoic defence in times of war. The walls are constructed in rubble gabion, on their outward face, and in sandstone ashlar, on the inward face. The gabion stones, procured from the different regions of the country, represent our diversity while the ashlar represent the secular credentials of a uniform fighting force.

A shallow bowl-shaped depression is carved out in front of each exemplar allowing visitors to pay floral homage at the far end of each memorial avenue.

The inclined monoliths bear the names of martyrs in individual tiles of light marble. Due to the requirement of adding names to the memorial, a steel structure has been conceived in the design. Barring the one ones on the edge, that are fixed, each diamond-shaped marble tile is fixed to a tertiary structure of SS C- channels that unidirectionally along one diagonal so that it may be removed and replaced by a named tile, in military ritual. The names are engraved on these tile upto a depth that will allow them to be backlit at night while remaning legible in sunlight. The tertiary structure of channels is supported on a secondary structure of MS fins placed upto a meter apart. These aslo support the primary truss structure, preventing it from deviations. The roof is made of concrete poured onto corrugated steel decking. Water cascades over tessellating tiles, down toward the ceremonial column. This part is made of masonry and concrete and holds individual water reservoirs and pumps for the cascade. An access door is provided at its leading edge to provide access to the steel structure for servicing the lights and electricals.

At the very heart of the Memorial is a Column of Eternal Light. As the largest self­-supporting glass structure in the world, the Column offers a unique and awe-inspiring tribute to the spirit and sacrifices of India's military.

Situated at the hub of the Memorial Dharm­achakra, the Column connects the crucial ideas of Dharti (territory) and Dharma (Duty). Even as it catches and reflects the light of the sun, an undying flame burns within it, protected from wind and the ele­ments. Using glass, fire and concealed illumi­nation, the Column offers a light yet visual­ly-powerful and contemporary rallying-point for the commemoration of generations of brave soldiers from across the nation. It ar­ticulates the forces that draw us together and drive us towards greater meaning.

The Column thus powerfully connects the earthbound churning of human affairs, with our eternal aspiration for freedom and higher purpose. It links Land and Legend.