Low-rise Capital to high-rise city

Delhi, a city once recognised as much for its expansive skies as for its historic monuments, is undergoing a transformation more visible now than at any other time in its post-Independence history.

- Snehil Sinha

Its skyline, that for decades rose gently above tree canopies, low-slung government quarters, and stately domes, is now being pierced by cranes, glass façades, and buildings that stretch far beyond the city's traditional architectural vocabulary.

The Capital that once grew outward spreading into new colonies, roads and localities - is now growing upward, its silhouette changing with each redevelopment project approved. This shift is altering not only how Delhi looks right now, but will define how the city will shape itself in the decades to come.

One of the clearest symbols of this transformation stands in Karol Bagh, where the Amaryllis Iconic Towers rise to around 208 metres, making them the tallest structures in Delhi. In a neighbourhood long associated with dense commercial streets, small hotels and wholesale markets rather than luxury high-rises, the arrival of towers of this scale marks a striking departure from tradition. Visible from arterial roads and metro corridors, they have become emblematic of a city shedding its longstanding hesitation toward skyscrapers.

Their presence has also altered real estate dynamics in surrounding areas, revealing how rapidly developers are now securing a foothold within Delhi's municipal limits - a phenomenon once confined to Gurugram and Noida.

Similar transformations are unfolding across west Delhi, particularly in Moti Nagar, Kirti Nagar and other former industrial belts. Old warehouses and godowns are being replaced by gated high-rise societies offering amenities and densities that mirror those of NCR's satellite towns. These neighbourhoods have emerged as some of the busiest redevelopment zones in Delhi, driven by their proximity to metro stations, the availability of contiguous land parcels and policy shifts that encourage compact growth.