For 80 years, Pentagon remained the largest office in the world but no more. Gujarat’s diamond capital Surat now has the biggest office in the world in the form of Surat Diamond Bourse. The new building can accommodate 65,000 diamond professionals at a time.
The building spreads over 35 acres of land and has a 15-storey complex. It features a series of nine interconnected rectangular structures connected via a central “spine”. Covering over 7.1 million square feet of floor space, it is larger than the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially open the building later this year. As per an exclusive report by CNN, the first occupants will start using the building following the inauguration scheduled for November 2023. The project took four years to complete, including two years of delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lauding the building, PM Modi said, “Surat Diamond Bourse showcases the dynamism and growth of Surat’s diamond industry. It is also a testament to India’s entrepreneurial spirit. It will serve as a hub for trade, innovation and collaboration, further boosting our economy and creating employment opportunities.”
Surat Diamond Bourse showcases the dynamism and growth of Surat's diamond industry. It is also a testament to India’s entrepreneurial spirit. It will serve as a hub for trade, innovation and collaboration, further boosting our economy and creating employment opportunities. https://t.co/rBkvYdBhXv
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 19, 2023
Notably, the surroundings of the building have low-rise buildings, but in future, it may change. Under the Dream City project, the government of Gujarat initiated a planning process for the realization of Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City at Surat, which will cover 700 hectares adjacent to Khajod village, the Outer Ring Road and close to the Dumas airport.
Speaking to CNN, Mahesh Gadhavi, CEO of the project, said that it would save time and resources for the diamond professionals who travel to Mumbai daily for carrying operations. He added, “Some people have to spend up to four hours daily to come from their homes to their offices and back home again.” He said the idea behind the building was to relocate the office to Surat and deemed the city a “better option”.
The Pentagon was the world's largest office building for 80 years. This new building just took the title. pic.twitter.com/3tTqWlmz6q
— CNN (@CNN) July 18, 2023
New Delhi-based architectural firm Morphogenesis has designed the building. Gadhavi said initially, it was not planned as a building to surpass the Pentagon’s record of having the largest office space. He said, “The project’s size was dictated by demand.”
The building is designed in a way that it will consume up to 50 per cent less energy. That means it will qualify for a “platinum” rating from the Indian Green Building Council. The building has a “radiant cooling” system that circulates chilled water beneath the floors reducing the indoor temperature. Furthermore, solar energy-powered common areas within the building and interconnected offices through long central corridors make it a sustainable construction. The layout gives a feeling of being at an airport. The building has 4,700 offices, dining halls, retail, wellness centres, conference rooms and 131 elevators. The total cost of the project was Rs 32 billion.
The building is designed in such a way that it can host both small and large businesses. Describing it as a “democratic” design, Morphogenesis co-founder Sonali Rastogi said all occupants would have similar convenient access to amenities and facilities. From the building entry gates, every office will be accessible in seven minutes.
There will be a lottery to decide which occupant will get which office.
