Abha Narain Lambah Associates is a leading architectural firm in India, specializing in Architectural Conservation, Building Restoration & Retrofit, Museum Design, Historic Interiors, Preparation of Urban and Regional Level Conservation Management Plans, Conservation Assessment Studies, Urban signage and Street furniture. Since its establishment in 1998, the practice has focused on historic sites all over India ranging from planning for ancient Buddhist sites of Ajanta and Bodh Gaya, 15th Century temples in Ladakh and Hampi, medieval mosques, palaces, forts and caravan sarais in Rajasthan, Hyderabad, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, urban and regional conservation in Kancheepuram, Ajmer and Shekhawati, 19th Century colonial heritage in Delhi, Shimla, Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai and 20th century modern heritage in Corbusier’s Chandigarh and Art Deco Mumbai.
The firm has won 9 UNESCO Asia Pacific Awards for conservation projects including the Award of Excellence for the 15th Century Maitreya Buddha Temple at Basgo, Ladakh; Award of Distinction for Mumbai University’s Convocation Hall in 2007 and has been listed among the TOP 50 Architects & Designers for 2014,15,17 and Top 100 Architects of South Asia 2018 by Architectural Digest; Top 10 Young Indian Architects 2012 – Construction World, Top 100 Architects of India – Architects & Interiors India 2015-16 and CNBC Architect of the Year Award 2017.
The principal architect Abha Narain Lambah has a Masters degree in architectural conservation from the School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi with over two decades of experience in the field. She has been awarded the Sanskriti Award, Eisenhower Fellowship, the Attingham Trust Fellowship and Charles Wallace Fellowship and has been nominated by Arc Vision as among the Top 20 Women Architects Globally in 2016. She has been a consultant to ICCROM, UNITAR, World Monuments Fund, Global Heritage Fund, Archaeological Survey of India and has served on the heritage committees of both Delhi and Mumbai.
The studio has worked on many museum projects across India, from Mani Bhawan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Prince of Wales Museum, Alpaiwala Museum and Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak in Mumbai, to Chowmahalla Palace Museum in Hyderabad, Jaivilas Palace in Gwalior and the Nehru homes in Allahabad. It has domain expertise in Museum & Gallery Design as well as advising on iconic museums such as the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, Swatantrata Sangram Sangrahalaya Red Fort, Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum in New Delhi and the Indian Museum Kolkata.
For nearly two decades since the Heritage Regulations for Bombay in 1995, the firm has been involved with conserving many 19th Century Victorian landmarks and precincts. Some of its projects in Mumbai include urban guidelines for Khotachiwadi and Dadabhai Naoroji Road precinct, restoration of Royal Opera House, Town Hall & Asiatic Library, Convocation Hall Mumbai University, Elphinstone College, Old Secretariat, Bombay High Court, Raj Bhavan Mumbai, Sir JJ School of Art, Municipal Head Office and Crawford Market, as well as banks such as Tata Palace (Deutsche Bank), HSBC, Bank of India and Central Bank. The firm has been advising on urban infrastructure and planning and is HRIDAY City Anchor for Kancheepuram under the Ministry of Urban Development GoI and City Anchor for Ajmer and Mt Abu in Rajasthan. It has worked on a range of urban projects such as Walled City Jaipur Illumination projects as well as Mumbai Metro and Jaipur Metro.