COLONIAL

ARCHITECTURE
 COLONIAL ERA ( 1500 – 1947)
• Architecture became an emblem of power,
designed to endorse the patron
• Numerous outsiders invaded India and
created architectural styles reflective of their
ancestral and adopted homes.
• The British , French , dutch & the Portuguese
were the main powers that colonized india
BRITISH COLONIAL ERA ( 1615 – 1947)
• British arrived in 1615 by overthrowing the
Mughal empire.
• Britain reigned India for over three hundred years
.
• Their legacy still remains through building &
infrastructure that populate their former colonies
.
• Madras , Calcutta , Bombay , Delhi, Agra ,
Bankipore, Nagpur , Bhopal and Hyderabad were
the major cities colonized during this period.
 BRITISH COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE IN
INDIA
• Architecture during British India
• Includes Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture
(also known as Indo-Gothic , Mughal-Gothic,
Neo-Mughal ) and colonial era Neoclassical
architecture in India
INDIAN SOCIETY AND EARLY COLONIAL
ARCHITECTURE – BRITISH COLONIAL
• As traders- mundane and functional nature of
early architecture without much response to the
Indian context
• Shift in attitude as the crown takes over in 1858
• Expressions for identity, power and superiority.
• Building for permanence – social & philosophical
disparities between the ruler and the masses.
• Imposition of life style and behavior of self on the
others.
 URBAN DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
• Introduction of new institutions ( railway
station , law courts , colleges , hospitals, post
offices etc )
• Emergence of new urbanity
• Modernizing forces
• Extension of cities
• Development of subhurbs
• Hill stations
 BUILDING METHODS

• Initial role of military engineers

• Setting up of the PWD ( public work
department ( 1862) )
• Introduction of new building practices
• Superimposition
• Modification
• New materials
 ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
• Politico-cultural meaning through built
environment
• Stylistic changes in architecture form
neoclassical to indo- sarcenic & art- deco to
modern
• Influence of art and crafts movement
 CHANGES IN DWELLING TYPE
• Development of the bungalow typology
• Evolvement of a type from a simple dwelling
to an elaborate mansion
• Reflection of sociocultural patterns
 URBAN DESIGN
• Urban design schemes
• Civil lines and cantonments( influenced much
middle class housing)
• The cantonments and civil lines were generally
laid out as grid iron planned
• They had central thoroughfares, with tree-lined
streets, regularly divided building plots and
bungalows as the main housing type.
• Churches , cemeteries, clubs , race & golf courses
MADRAS
 MADRAS

• Madras, being the first major British settlement in the Indian

Subcontinent, witnessed several of the earliest
constructions built in these styles.

• Several European colonists, namely, Portuguese, Dutch and

French, initially influenced the architectural style of the
region, it was chiefly the British who left a lasting impact on
the city's architecture.

• The initial structures were utilitarian warehouses and walled

trading posts, giving way to fortified towns along the
coastline.
 STYLES OF ARCHITECTURE
• Indo-Saracenic and colonial style.
• Art Deco.
• Agraharam architecture.
• Post-Independence.
 ART DECO

• Art Deco, sometimes referred to as Deco, is a style of visual

arts, architecture and design that first appeared in France just
before World War I.

Art Deco buildings in Parrys Corner

 AGRAHARAM ARCHITECTURE

• Some residential areas like Tiruvallikeni (Triplicane)

and Mylapore have several houses dating from the early 20th
century, especially those far removed from arterial roads.
Known as the Agraharam, this style consists of traditional row
houses usually surrounding a temple.[
 POST-INDEPENDENCE
• After Independence, the city witnessed a rise in
the Modernism style of architecture. The completion of
the LIC Building In 1959, the tallest building in the country at
that time , marked the transition from lime-and-brick
construction to concrete columns in the region.

LIC Building
 INDO-SARACENIC AND
COLONIAL STYLE
• British influence in the form of old cathedrals and the
mix of Hindu, Islamic and Gothic revival styles that
resulted in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. Many
of the colonial era buildings are designed in this style.

The Ripon Building, Chennai

 GEORGE TOWN
• West of the port is George Town,
where dockyard workers and other manual labourers
used to live.
• Also known as the black town.
• George Town is now a bustling commercial centre,
but its architecture is significantly different from
areas closer to the fort, with narrower roads and
tightly packed buildings.
• Most of the colonial-style buildings are concentrated
in the area around the port and Fort St George.
GEORGE TOWN , CHENNAI
 FORT ST. GEORGE

• Also known as the white town as the

britishers used to accomodate in the
fort.
• The Fort is a stronghold with 6 metres
(20 ft.) high walls that withstood a
number of assaults in the 18th century.

• THE CHURCH
St Mary's Church is one of the
oldest church in India. It was built
between 1678 and 1680 on the orders of
the then Agent of Madras Streynsham
Master.
ILLUSTRATION OF FORT ST. GEORGE
 ST. MARY'S CHURCH, MADRAS

SKETCH SHOWING THE EXTERIOR OF THE CHURCH

 ST. MARY'S CHURCH

• The internal dimensions - 86 feet by 56 feet

• outside walls –4 feet thick.
• Walls separating the nave from the aisles- 3 feet thick.
• The extraordinary thickness of the walls was to protect the building from
attack and damage during storms.
• The building consists of a nave and two aisles, with the nave protruding
about 12 feet further than the aisles, thus forming the sanctuary.
• At the west end of the nave is a spacious gallery, resting on
carved Burma teak pillars.
• Two curved staircases to access the gallery from outside.
• Two vestries at the east end of each of the aisles were built in the
nineteenth century.
• Though it now has a tower to the west of the nave, this was not part of the
original design but was rather added at the beginning of the eighteenth
century and some old prints show the tower without the spire.
PLAN OF ST. MARY'S CHURCH
 ST ANDREW'S CHURCH, MADRAS

• St. Andrew's Church is located

in Egmore, Madras was built to
serve the Scottish community in
Chennai.

• The church shows prominent

features of Neo-Classical
architecture, it is inspired by St.
Martin in the fields in London.

The Kirk
 ARCHITECTURE
• The body of the church is a circle, with rectangular compartments to the
east and west.
• The circular part 24.5 m in diameter, is crowned by a shallow masonry
dome colored a deep blue.
• This is painted with golden starsand supported by 16 fluted pillars with
Corinthian capitals.
 FEATURES
• DOME
An architectural marvel, the dome
has a framework of brick
supported by an annular arch and
is filled in by pottery cones. Its blue
interior is formed by crushed sea
shells.
Interiors of St. Andrew's Church, Madras
• FLOORING
The interiors are done with
woodwork of mahogany and black
and white chequered marble floor,
which adds to the beauty of this
church.
STAINED GLASS
The stained-glass windows above the main altar,
in warm rich colors, are among the glories of the
church.

Interiors of St. Andrew's Church, Madras

 SENATE HOUSE (University of Madras)

• Constructed by
Robert Chisholm
between 1874
and 1879 .
• Inspired by the
Byzantine and
built in the Indo-
Saracenic style.

The Senate House, Madras

 1. Porch
2. Offices
3. Examination hall
4. Double height
verandah
PLAN OF THE SENATE 5. Seminar hall
HOUSE
 PLAN

SENATE HOUSE
 STONE COLUMNS WITH SCULPTURED CAPITAL

PENDETIVE DOMES
Large clerestory circular openings decorated
with colored glass

MUGHAL CHAJJAS
Used same method of construction as
used by mughals.
FEATURES OF COLONIAL
ARCHITECTURE OF
KOLKATA
 GENERAL FEATURES
 TUSCAN , IONIC COLUMNS
 ARCHED OPENINGS
 COLONNADED CORRIDORS
 DOMES
 TRIANGULAR PEDIMENT
 WALLS CARVINGS
 DORIC COLUMNS
 LOUVERED SHUTTERS
 FAN LIGHT WINDOW
 GENERAL FEATURES
TUSCAN COLUMNS

ARCHED
OPENINGS

COLONNADED
CORRIDORS
 GENERAL FEATURES

IONIC
COLUMNS DOME
 GENERAL FEATURES
TRIANGULAR
PEDIMENT

FAN LIGHT
WINDOW
DORIC COLUMNS

LOUVERED
SHUTTERS

WALL CARVINGS
 WRITER’S BUILDING
(1777-1906)
 DESIGNED BY THOMAS LYON
 HAVE SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS BELONGING TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT
OF WEST BENGAL

FEATURES
 128 FT LONG VERANDAH ADMIRED WITH IONIC COLUMNS
 32 FT HEIGHT OF FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR
 IRON STAIRCASES
 GIANT PEDIMENT
SEVERAL STATUES INSTALLED ON TERRACE
MOST NOTICABLE BEING FOUR CLUSTERS OF
STATUES , ‘COMMERCE’, ‘JUSTICE’,
‘AGRICULTURE’ AND ‘SCIENCE’ WITH GREEK
GODS AND GODDESSES
 VICTORIA MEMORIAL

• DESIGNED BY WILLIAM EMERSON

• 338FT BY 228FT BY 184FT
• ONION DOMES
• SEMI -CIRCULAR ARCHES
• COLONNADED AREA ON BOTH SIDES
• DOMED KIOSKS AND MANY MINIATURE DOMES
• USE OF MAKRANA MARBLE
 PLAN OF VICTORIA MEMORIAL

COLONNADE SEPARATE THE TWO CHAMBERS. EACH CORNER HOLDS A SMALLER

DOME AND IS FLOORED WITH MARBLE PLINTH.
THE MEMORIAL STANDS ON 26 HECTARES OF
GARDEN SURROUNDED BY REFLECTIVE POOLS.
FEATURES OF VICTORIA MEMORIAL
ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

ST. PAUL’S
CATHEDRAL
 ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

• BUILT ON THE INDO GOTHIC STYLE OF

ARCHITECTURE
• BUILT IN 1847 BY MAJOR W.N. FORBES
• THE PEAK HAS BEEN DESIGNED AS A REPLICA OF
FAMOUS CANTEBURY CATHEDRAL HENRY TOWER
• COMPLEX ALSO HAS A LIBRARY
 FEATURES
• NAVE IS 247 FT LONG , 81 FT WIDE , CENTRAL
SPIRE RISES UPTO 201 FT
• TOWER HAS 5 CLOCKS EACH WEIGHS 3 TONS
• IT HAS 3 STAINED GLASS WINDOWS , 2 FRESCOS
• POINTED ARCHES
• BARREL VAULT
• ROOF HAS A SHALLOW CURVE ARCHING OVER
IRON TRUSSES
• INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY PLASTERED BY
LIME
FEATURES
PLAN
 STAINED
GLASSES

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

WITH TRACERY
 BOMBAY

BOMBAY
 ARCHITECTURE IN BOMBAY
• Colonial architecture architecture in Bombay
began during 18th and early 19th century.
• Before it was the neo classical style but then a
new style emerged reflecting modern
European architecture- gothic style.
• Gothic style was more expressive with colors.
 ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
• Gothic
• Indo-saracenic
• Art deco
CHHATTRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS
• Rebuilt in 1883.
• Architectural style- Victorian gothic style.
• Previously known as Victoria Terminus.
MATERIALS
• A combination of
limestone and sandstone
used in the exterior.
• Lime mortar used in
construction.
• Columns cladded in
Italian marble.
• Arches were made of
sandstone.
• Burma teak wood is used.
 PLAN
• C-shaped plan
• Symmetrical on E-W axis.

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

 DOME

• Octagonal ribbed
structure with a
colossal female
figure symbolizing
Progress.
• Turrets balance and
frame the central
dome.
 DOME
• Dome placed on high drum having two
levels of stained glass.
• Decorative squinches/ pendentives used.
Decorative squinches/ pendentives in Ribbed vaults
staircase area.
 ARCHES

Pointed arch, Semi- circular arch

 FAÇADE
Well proportioned rows of arches and windows.
• High level carvings,
animal motifs done in
stone.
Entrance flanked by figures of lion and tiger.
ROSE WINDOW
 GATEWAY OF INDIA
• Built in 1924.
• Architect – George Wittet.
• Architecture style – Indo saracenic
Built to commemorate the visit of kind George
and queen Mary in December 1911.
• It is a
combination
of Muslim
and Hindu
architectural
styles.
• The
architecture
is Muslim
style.
• The
ornamentatio
n is Hindu
style.
 MATERIAL
• Yellow basalt
• Reinforced
concrete.
• Stone was locally
obtained.
• Perforated
screens were
brought from
Gwalior.
Gateway arch height – 26m
• Gateway
faces the
Mumbai
harbor.
• Designed
with
intricate
latticewor
k, the 4
turrets are
prominent
features
 DOME

Central dome- 15m dia. , 83 ft height

Portuguese: 1498-1961

The Portuguese arrived as

merchants in the 1498 and were
more driven by a Catholic
missionary zeal than gaining
powers in India. The Portuguese
gained a foothold in Goa and
ruled for 400 years.
 •Portuguese dominance in Goa still
remains evident
•Velha Goa- former capital during
the Portuguese rule

• Colonizers' missionary spirit

built many magnificent
cathedrals, churches,
basilicas and seminaries

CHURCH OF ST.FRANCIS OF ASSISSI

Goan -Portuguese houses
•Walls are painted with bright colors

•Walls were made out of mud or

laterite stone and colored with
vegetable and natural dyes

•Gateposts and compound walls were

craved with detail

•Front doors were lined with columns

•Houses faced the street with
unique large ornamental windows
opening onto verandas

•Colors were painted on houses

constructing distinct identity

•Covered porches and verandas

were designed for socializing
contrary to the Hindu styled housing

•A false ceiling installed of wood

•Railings were popular in

embellishment
The Basilica
of Bom
Jesus ,Old
Goa

•Location: old Goa

•Roman catholic Church
•Founded: 1594
•Consecrated: 1605
•Dedication: St Francis Xavier
•Architecture Style: baroque
architecture
•The word Bom Jesus refers as “Infant Jesus”
or “Good Jesus”.
•It was designed by Florentine sculptor,
Giovanni Fogginni
•The Church holds the burial place and mortal
remains of St. Francis Xavier
•Three storied church
built of plaster and
laterite
•It measures 183 ft in
length,55 ft in breath,
and 61 ft in height. The
main altar is 54 ft high
and 30 ft broad
•Main entrance flanked
by two smaller
columns, each having
Corinthian columns
supporting a pediment
•Interior is built in a Mosaic Corinthian style
•Floor is laid with pure white marble
•Flying buttresses

•Façade is built out of black granite in the

combination of the Doric, Corinthian and
composite styles
•Pillars and detail are carved from basalt
• A projecting gallery runs along the
two longer sides of the Church
•There are two chapels, a main altar
and a sacristy besides a choir inside
the church itself
• There is a belfry is at the back
• In the transept on the northern
side is the Chapel of the Blessed
Sacrament
The main altar at the end of the
nave is flanked by two
decorated altars in the transept,
one dedicated to Our Lady of
Hope and the other to St.
Michael.
Adjoining the Chapel of St. Francis
Xavier is a corridor that leads to
the sacristy, It is an oblong vaulted
structure
 In the southern side in the
transept is a chapel with twisted
columns and floral decorations of
wood, where the sacred relics of
the body of St. Francis Xavier are
kept
As one enters, beneath the choir,
to the right is an altar of St.
Anthony and to the left is an
exceedingly well-carved wooden
statue of St. Francis Xavier.
 Se Cathedral, Velha Goa

•The architecture style of the Se Cathedral is

Portuguese Manueline
• The exterior is Tuscan, whereas the interior is
Corinthian
•The church is 250 feet (76 m) in length and
181 feet (55 m) in breadth
• The Cathedral has been built on a
raised plinth of laterite, covered over
with lime plaster.

• There is a long nave , two aisles and a

transept. A bell tower is located to the
southern side of the façade. The nave is
barrel-vaulted while the crossing is rib-
vaulted

•On the right there is a Chapel of the

Cross of Miracles, where a vision of
Christ is said to have appeared in 1919
• The church is a false basilica (no •The Se Cathedral's tower houses a large
clerestory windows between the nave bell known as the Golden Bell
and aisles)
• The main entrance in the facade has
Corinthian columns on plinths supporting a
pediment containing an inscription in Latin
• Portals, windows and niches have detailed,
erudite architectural frames
• There are six main panels, on
which scenes from the life of Saint
Catherine are carved.
•There is a huge gilded reredos
above the main altar
FRENCH (1673 – 1954)
 COMMON FEATURES
• Heavy wooden beams and wooden joints
supporting terrace.
• Circular arched gates
• Arched and painted windows
• Stucco design
• Big verandas and doors
• vertical pilasters and horizontal cornices.
EXAMPLES
 1. SACRED HEART BASILICA
• One of the oldest churches built by French
missionaries.
• Built in 18th century
• Big church can accommodate 150 people
• 50 M long and 48 M wide
• Glass windows and twin spire
• Glass windows are encircled by terracotta
craft
• Contains stained glass panels : depicts life of
Jesus
• Latin Cross shape in Aerial view
• High altar
• Colourful light throughout the fenestration
Atrium : fore court of a church
Nave : central pathway space in the church
Aisle : corridors running parallel to nave
Narthex: Connects atrium to nave
Transept : T Junction
Apse : Semi Circular area where altar is place
 FRANCO – TAMIL HOUSES
• Rubble foundations
• Walls of flat bricks
• Raised platforms with wooden columns
• Atrium
ANANDA RANGA PILAI
MANSION
• One of the oldest buildings owned by noble
men of Tamil
• Medium sized courtyard surrounded by
wooden pillars
• Terrace supported by masonry columns
• ceilings are supported by heavy wooden
beams and wooden joists supporting terrace.
 Materials Used :-
Burnt bricks
Lime mortar
Bricks
DUTCH: 1605 TO 1825
The Dutch sailed eastward mainly for purposes of trade, arriving in India
and Sri Lanka about a century after the Portuguese. Their fortifications
consist of rampart walls encircling the settlements, which were divided into
two areas, one for Europeans and the other for the indigenous population.
The towns were planned with streets, drainage systems and trees, and
because of the need for large numbers of dwellings within the fortified
settlements, regulations were imposed upon the architectural
development of streets.
The Dutch placed their warehouse for export goods in prominent positions
adjacent to the harbours. Brick vaulting was the most characteristic
method of construction.
DUTCH: 1605 TO 1825

SOURCE: www.wikimedia.org
DUTCH: 1605 TO 1825
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES:
Usually have a structure of massive teak beams.
The upper floor is located in the front and can be reached with a wooden
staircase.
The upper storey has a wooden floor.
A long open veranda runs along the length of each wings.
Use of pitched roof.
 TEAK
BEAMS

PITCHED
ROOF

COURTYARDS
THE MATTANCHERRY PALACE, KOCHI

SOURCE: www.keralatourism.org
 THE MATTANCHERRY PALACE, KOCHI

The Mattancherry Palace, also known as Dutch Palace, is one of the finest
examples of the Kerala style of architecture interspersed with colonial
influences.
Located at around 12 km from Ernakulam, it was built around 1545 C.E. by
the Portuguese as a present to King Veera Kerala Verma of Kochi dynasty.
It came to be known as the Dutch Palace as it underwent major repairs at
the hands of the Dutch.
It is famous for its long and spacious halls along with its central courtyard.
It is also the home of the deity of the royal family, Pazhayannur
Bhagavathy.
SITE PLAN
CEILING COURTYARD

TIMBER
BEAMS

CORONATION
HALL SOURCE: www.keralatourism.org
 THE MATTANCHERRY PALACE, KOCHI
1. The Mattancherry palace is a two-storeyed built in traditional Kerala
naalukettu (quadrangular) model.
2. The four separate wings open into a central courtyard.
3. The courtyard houses a temple of the royal deity Pazhayannur
Bhagavathi. There are also Temples dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lord
Shiva.
4. The palace has Coronation hall, royal bed chamber, dining hall,
assembly hall, ladies' quarters and the staircase room.
5. The ceilings are decorated with wood carved floral designs including the
design of an inverted lotus.
6. A mixture of burnt coconut shells, lime, plant juices and egg-whites was
used.
 THE MATTANCHERRY PALACE, KOCHI
7. the nature of its arches and the proportion of its chambers reflects
European architecture influences on top of the Nalukettu style.
8. The palace looks simple from the outside with its yellow tinted walls and
sloping roof. Inside there are long spacious halls and arches.
9. The ground floor of the palace houses the ladies room with a staircase of
its own to second floor. The top floor houses the coronation hall, royal bed
chamber, dining hall, assembly hall and a staircase room.
10. The large number of murals present in the palace fascinates visitors
with its colourful depiction of stories from the epics Mahabharata and
Ramayana. The murals have been added in three phases, starting from the
beginning of the 16th century to the end of 18th. The bed chamber of the
king known as Palliyara is covered with about 48 murals in all its sides.
 THE MATTANCHERRY PALACE, KOCHI
10. The coronation hall that was constructed by the Dutch displays
portraits of Kings of Cochin. The ceilings of the hall is decorated with floral
designs in wood. On the opposite side of the coronation hall is the
staircase room to descend to the lower storey.
11. The palace is a rare example of traditional Kerala flooring, made with a
mixture of burned coconut shells, charcoal, lime, plant juices and egg
whites.
BASTION BUNGALOW, FORT KOCHI

SOURCE: www.keralatourism.org
 BASTION BUNGALOW, FORT KOCHI
In Fort Kochi lies the historic Bastion Bungalow, once a topic of contention
between many of the imperial powers who staked their claim over the area.
Originally built by the Portuguese as Fort Immanuel in the 16th century, the
Dutch invasion in 1663 led to the destruction of the first structure.
What remained was the Stormberg Bastion, one third in size, and it would be
remodelled into the mighty Bastion Bungalow that we see today.
Its circular structure is so captivating that when the British eventually arrived,
they decided to leave that part of the original building untouched.
Its has long, open verandas and a tiled roof in geometric pattern. Made entirely
of brick, laterite and wood, it is said that beneath its ground floor lies a secret
network of tunnels. The building was declared a protected monument by the
State Archaeology Department a few years back.
www.museumkeralam.org
SOURCE: www.keralatourism.org
DAVID HALL, KOCHIN

SOURCE: www.keralatourism.org
 DAVID HALL, KOCHI

David Hall was built around 1695 by the Dutch East India Company. It was
the residence of the renowned Dutch governor, Hendrick Adrian Van
Rheede tot Drakestein. However, the building gets its name from a later
occupant, a Jewish businessman called David Koder.

Governor Drakestein initiated a pioneering study on the flora of Kerala that

resulted in the 12-volume classic, the Hortus Malabaricus.
 DAVID HALL, KOCHI
The characteristic features of this Dutch building have not been
altered drastically either by Time or by its various occupants. The
recent alterations made in the David Hall are in adherence with the
Dutch typology.

The typical Dutch architecture is visible on all elements including the

wooden roof which is made of flat face rafters. A droop in the wood is
seen as a result of these horizontal beams and so the wood is
supported by trusses across them. As a whole, the roof gives a look of
an upturned hill and this `architectural wonder is highlighted with the
modern lighting in the Hall.

The three-foot wide walls and the four-column windows are the other
characteristics of the building and they add to its elegance. A well-
manicured garden and the old trees in the courtyard too help the
David Hall retain its grace intact.
SOURCE: www.keralatourism.org