The Indian Air Force Museum, New Delhi

Introduction :
The IAF Museum, Palam is the first ever Aerospace museum of India.The IAF
Museum has the largest collection of aircrafts.It showcases the achievements of IAF since 1930.
it is built on the property of Northern Air Command. The museum offers an insight not only into
the history of the Indian Air Force but a complete picture of Military aviation in India. Starting
from the initial days when Indian aviators flew for the Royal Flying Corps during the First World
War, right up to the days of the Kargil Operations. The visitor is regaled with pictures,
mementoes, souvenirs, models, and the actual aircraft themselves.

Project Details :
Established : 1955
Location : Palam, New Delhi.
Access : The Museum is situated next to Technical Area Gate of Air Force Station Palam. It is
appx. 8 km from Dwarka, Sec‐9 metro station and only 1.5 km from airport.
Client : The Indian Air Force
Area : Around 4 acres.

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Design Analysis :
Site Planning & Circulation :
• The site is irregular in shape and flat with an area of around 4 acres.
• It is approached from Palam road 15 m wide with entrance at a setback of 5 m from the
road.
• As the museum is entered, a black ceramic tiled walkway with hedges on both sides, leads
to the War memorial towards right.
• Further ahead lies the entrance to the museum block with indoor gallery space that opens
up further to the large hangar at the end.
• On the left lies the museum office and the cafeteria.
• The outdoor exhibits are not very much distributed except for two parts of the site with
outdoor displays as most of the aircrafts are accommodated within the hangar.
• The site orientation is such that the outdoor galleries open up towards south sun.

Outdoor Gallery Hangar Outdoor Gallery

Site Plan

Indoor Gallery 2 & 3 Pathway to museum War Memorial

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Individual Spaces :
Indoor Gallery‐1 :
• The museum houses two display galleries. First gallery, single storeyed, is entered as the
visitor crosses the war memorial. It has a reception counter and adjoins the hangar.
• The indoor gallery‐1 exhibits photographs and uniforms along with various small models
divided into various sections like the Air Chiefs Section, the Roll of Honour section etc.
• The gallery area is very small with respect to the adjoining hangar.
• The circulation pattern is linear and exhibits are placed along it in glass cases that define
the walkway.
• The proportion of the gallery with lower ceiling, smaller width and great length makes it
uncomfortable to move within the space.
• Once the gallery is entered the visitor has to walk the entire length of the space to reach to a
small door that leads to the big hangar.
42 m

4m

2m
0.5 m

Floor Plan Area – 168 sq.m.

Long linear exhibits Low ceilings Entrance to the hangar

Indoor Gallery‐2 & 3 :

• The second indoor gallery lies in one corner of the site along the boundary.
• The block is single storeyed and houses documents and weaponry preserved over a course
of wars.
• The block has circulation directed due to the U‐shaped building profile along which the
exhibits are being placed.
• Most of the display boards are vacant.
• Same linear pattern of exhibiting is followed without any surprises which does not attract
visitor’s attention.

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 36 m

Gallery 3 7m

16 m
2m

Gallery 2
0.6 m

Ground Floor Plan, Gallery 2 & 3 Area – 576 sq.m.

Gallery 2 long linear exhibits Lack of spacial movement Gallery – 3 view

Mikoyan‐Gurevich Mig – 21 ANTONOV AN – 12 Transport

Fighter Jet Aircraft
Length : 12.2 m Length : 33.1 m
Wingspan : 7.1 m Wingspan : 38 m
Height : 4.1 m Height : 10.5 m

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 Aircraft models
showcase
Length : 2 m
Width : 1 m
T – 59 Pakistani Height : 2.2 m
Tank Length : 6.04
m Width : 10.7 m
Height : 2.59 m

Light Combat Aircraft

model case
Length : 1.5 m
Width : 1 m
Height : 0.8 m
Hangar : Area – 77 x 44 = 3388 sq.m.
• After crossing the entire length of Gallery‐1, a door leads to the hangar that exhibits
around 30 aircrafts along with few portraits and memorials.
• The hangar space measures 50m x 75 m and is a vast area with enough circulation space.
• The displays also include a vintage car used by Air Chief Marshall along with a statue of
Flg. Off. Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon.
• The circulation is not restricted linearly like the indoor galleries. They rather have a loop
formation hence giving a 360 degree efficient view of the aircrafts and other exhibits.
• To designate the circulation ,ropes are used along the walkway and aircrafts are placed
along it.
• A viewing platform is provided to have overall view of the hangar, however
insufficient height makes it impossible to view far off exhibits.

Viewing mezzanine platform Flg. Off. Nirmal Jit 3.2 m wide walkways Hangar exit
Singh Sekhon statue

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Outdoor Gallery :
• There were certain aircrafts like bombers and transport vehicles which could not be
accommodated inside the hangar due to their large size. Hence these are displayed in
outdoor galleries.
• The outdoor gallery also showcases tanks and crashed aircrafts, helicopters and armory
captures from Pakistan during the Indo‐Pak war 1971.
• The information boards are not placed in coordination with the exhibits.
• The outdoor exhibit spaces are not designed harmoniously.

Aircraft in outdoor gallery Ample spacial movement Pakistani Tank in outdoor gallery
Lighting :
• The museum has insufficient lighting both artificial and natural.
• Indoor gallery‐1 has no voids in the building to let daylight in, hence artificial lighting
is required for all day long.
• The artificial lighting quality and quantity is also poor. The lights used have low
intensity hence do not create the ambience that a museum requires.
• The hangar is provided with day lighting through slit opening in the structure but is
inefficient for the large space.
• In gallery‐2 there are windows for natural light along with the artificial lights but this does
not highlight the exhibits.
• Spot lights and ceiling mounted fluorescent lamps are used in gallery‐1.
• Incandescent bulbs are used to illuminate the exhibits inside the showcase embedded in
the wooden case.
• Fluorescent tube lights are also used to illuminate the photographs and other wall based
showcases to give an effect of diffused lighting/cove lighting.

Slit opening in hangar

Track light, bulbs &

lamps in gallery 1 Tube lights in gallery 2
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Structure :
• The structural system involved in the construction of large span hangar is portal frame
made out of rolled steel sections bolted together.
• The total span of frame is 45 m and are placed at a distance of 8 m centre to centre.
• If the beams and columns have a rigid joint between them then the structure so formed
will be a portal frame. It has stability against lateral forces.

Roof Trusses Steel section End joinery view

columns
Materials
:
• All the buildings on the site display their formal military character and hence fail to stand
out as a unique built structure.
• The walkway to the museum from the entrance is paved with concrete paving blocks.
• War memorial and the pathway to it are made of black marble.
Indoor Gallery :
• The main building with indoor galleries are brick‐built having their exteriors painted white
and blue. The interiors have white walls too.
• The indoor galleries have white false ceilings with linear lines pattern along its length.
• The floors are of white ceramic tiles.
Hangar and Outdoor Gallery :
• The hangar and other outdoor exhibits have concreted ground.
• Walls and roof are made up of blue corrugated steel sheets supported by steel sections
and trusses.

White & blue exterior of War Memorial black

indoor gallery marble

False ceiling and ceramic

tile in indoor gallery
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Inference :
• The building has no architectural expression in its envelope and internal spaces, hence fails
to attract tourist.
• The circulation inside the galleries is linear and dull. It does not define patterned
movement hence few exhibits are always out of general view.
• The lighting is very dull and inappropriate, with no natural lighting in indoor gallery‐1. The
illumination maintained in indoor gallery‐2 with natural lighting does not highlight
exhibits.
• The outdoor spaces are not planned as could have been regarding large spaces for display.
• The viewing platform in hangar does not prove to be effective as only few aircrafts at
certain distance can be viewed.

Wooden frames block the Plain architectural facade

exhibit view

Wings of the aircraft

going beyond the
exhibit area obstructing
circulation
Abrupt entry to the hangar

Inefficient mezzanine platform