The City of Surat in India’s Gujarat State hosts the newly constructed Surat Diamond Bourse, now acknowledged as the world’s largest office building.
Surat, located almost 300 km north of Mumbai, is where around 90% of the world’s diamond supply is polished and cut.
The newly constructed Surat Diamond Bourse, which officially opens its doors later this year and is poised to become a central hub for the diamond industry, accommodating over 65,000 professionals including cutters, polishers, and traders.
The very expansive complex boasts a mind-boggling 659,611 m² (7.1 million sq. ft) of floor space, spanning 35 acres of land, surpassing the USA’s Pentagon as the world’s largest office building.
The complex comprises nine interconnected towers – each with 15 floors – emanating from a central ‘spine’.
The architectural wonderl has been years in the making. The project was initiated in 2015, and despite progress slowing during the COVID-19 pandemic, construction promptly resumed post-lockdown and was completed in 2022.
It houses a whopping 4,700 office spaces, many of which can serve as small workshops for diamond cutting and polishing. Each office is strategically connected by a central corridor.
The bourse also offers a slew of amenities for its occupants, such as dining facilities, retail spaces, wellness centres, conference rooms, and 131 elevators to travel between them all.
The development cost 32 billion rupees (£303 million; $388 million) in total.
The Surat Diamond Bourse was designed by Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis. According to Sonali Rastogi, the company’s co-founder, all offices are reachable within a mere seven-minute walk from any of the entry gates.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the bourse’s design is its commitment to sustainability. In a city where summer temperatures can soar above 43°C (110°F), the architects have implemented innovative solutions to minimize energy consumption.
The building’s flared central spine is engineered to channel prevailing winds, while “radiant cooling” systems circulate chilled water beneath its floors to maintain a comfortable indoor environment.
Around 50% of the building’s cooling needs are met through natural ventilation, while solar energy is used to power communal areas.
The massive building is due to be officially inaugurated in November by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a figure who shares a deep-rooted connection with Gujarat as he was chief minister of the state for 13 years.
Mahesh Gadhavi, CEO of the Surat Diamond Bourse, foresees it having a transformative impact on the diamond industry.
He believes that the bourse’s establishment will significantly reduce the need for professionals to travel to Mumbai for business and will allow Surat to rival Antwerp as the diamond capital of the world.
