Colonial architecture .

Content
- Pre Colonial Legacy :
- Colonial Legacy :
Raj ‘Indo-Saracenic’ and the Arts & Crafts Movement :
Earlier traditions in Colonial times :
Colonial inputs into Town Planning :
Industry and architecture :
Colonial Architectural Education :
- Architecture and Nationalism :

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Pre Colonial Legacy
The traditional Indian architecture of pre-colonial times
was rich and multifaceted one, the earliest architecture of
India was pre-vedic and grew, as riverine urban
settlements.
Indus civilization - extraordinary development in town
planning.
Mauryan period - rich techniques in Timber architecture
examples - monolithic Ashokan pillars, Buddhist Stupas

- Ancient universities of Pataliputra and

Takshashila reminds of a glorious past .
Temple - The great age of temple building in India, was
from the 6-10 century
Both north and south developed characteristic
styles Nagara and Dravida under dynasties
Pallavas, Cholas, Chalukyas, Pandyas and
Chandellas
Muslim style - evolved at Delhi and flourished for three
300 years or more .
Apart from mosques and tombs, which were religious
structures, there were now palaces, madrassahs,
fortresses, pavilions, pleasure gardens, halls, hamams,
stables etc

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 Colonial Legacy .

Rich and varied architectural legacy of the colonist Portuguese , Dutch and British
brought with them a tradition of architectural and technological development .

Portuguese - the earliest Europeans to settle in India . They built many missionaries,
cathedrals, churches, basilicas, cemetery , houses . At Goa, a significant number of
churches exist .

Dutch - Dutch colonized Surat, Bharuch, Venrula, Ahmedabad Malabar cost, Kochi,
Sadras. The built factory, palace, cemetery and bungalows .

French - French colonized village Pondicherry. Town was build on grid pattern neat
sectors, perpendicular streets .
French expanded in costal towns .

In 19th century European and specially English architecture followed a path of historicity
and revivalism in Victorian period, these trends were reflected in official architecture of
India.

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British Colonial Era

1615 to 1947
- The British arrival in 1615 overthrew the Mughal empire .
Britain reigned India for over three hundred years and
their legacy still remains through building and
infrastructure that populate their former colonies
- The major cities colonized during this period were
Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Agra, Patna , Karachi,
Nagpur, Bhopal and Hyderabad
- 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.
- Introduction of new public buildings - railway stations,
law courts, colleges, hospitals, post offices, etc.
- Development of the bungalow typology
- The British followed various architectural styles – Gothic,
Imperial, Christian, English Renaissance and Victorian
being the essentials

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VICTORIA MEMORIAL , KOLKATA

- 1906-1921

- Designed by WILLIAM EMERSON

- STYLE • Indo Saracenic Revival Architecture

- The Victoria Memorial ,Calcutta It is the most effective

symbolism of British Empire, built as a monument in
tribute to Queen Victoria’s reign

- It drew elements from native Indo- Islamic and Indian

architecture, and combined it with the Gothic revival and
neo-classical styles favoured in Victorian Britain ..

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FEATURES
•
- central part covered with a larger dome
- onion (bulbous) domes
- Colonnades separate the two chambers
- Each corner holds a smaller dome and is floored
with marble plinth
- overhanging eaves
- pointed arches, cusped arches, or scalloped
arches
- Colonnaded area on both sides
- Domed kiosks and many miniature domes
- domed chhatris
- pinnacles
- towers or minarets
- Use of Makrana marble
- The memorial stands on 26 hectares of garden
surrounded by reflective pools

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British Colonial Era

1615 to 1947
Gateway of India
- 1911 – 1924
- Designed by GEORGE WITTET .
- STYLE • Indo Saracenic Revival Architecture
- The Gateway was later used as a symbolic
ceremonial entrance to India for Viceroys and
the new Governors of Bombay. It served to
allow entry and access to India
• The architect George Wittet combined the elements of the Roman
triumphal arch and the 16th-century architecture of Gujarat Its design
is a combination of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles;
• The arch is of Muslim style while the decorations are of Hindu style.
• T he gateway is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete.
• The stone was locally obtained, and the perforated screens were
brought from Gwalior.
• The gateway faces out to Mumbai Harbour from the tip of Apollo
Bunder.
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 Raj ‘Indo-Saracenic’ and the Arts & Crafts Movement

- neo-classical or neo-Gothic revivalism seen in the public - The solution found was to import the symmetrical plans found
building changed and developed into what is referred to as useful in similar buildings in Victorian England and add touches
the ‘Indo-Saracenic’ style by the British themselves. of Indianness to a neo-Gothic facade, so that the whole had an
exotic flavor.
- Art and craft movement in England led by William Morris
. - Similar building built over India style matured but basic
- He was concerned about the growing ugliness of English
planning was fixed
towns with their mass housing and industrial growth.

- He believed that art should be for and by the people and

wanted to bring back the joy of creativity so that the
craftsman could take pride in his work.

- John Lockwood Kipling , E.B. Havell strongly believed that

the official PWD methods of building were slowly killing the
spirit of Indian craftsmen. They argued, rather passionately,
for a policy which would associate the old master craftsmen
in the construction of new buildings. Only then, they felt,
would a meaningful architecture emerge .

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Earlier traditions in colonial times
- The colonial port cities and towns and in the
emerging urban settings, new building methods were more and
more in evidence.

- In many smaller towns, and in the Princely States, the

craftsmen and traditional architect got enough patronage to
keep them busy

- They continued to build temples and mosques, bathing ghats

and private mansions, the havelis and wadas of the local gentry.

- This traditional architecture, mostly religious or ritualistic,

remained a living art throughout the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries.

- The Princes adopted European designs for their public

buildings and palaces, but when it came to the private or
religious areas of their lives where government supervision
was the least, they could still follow their own tradition

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 Colonial inputs into town planning
- Industrial revolution created enormous changes, good and bad in the
urbanization

- In 1850’s and 1860’s efforts were made to set up municipalities in most

middle level small towns .

- One aspect of these buildings was the attention paid to the site
setting. The gardens planned according to the principles of landscape .

- Significant development was planning and layout of the cantonments

which were located outside the old urban centers .

- The low-density, low-rise pattern of planning seen in the Cantonments

and civil lines, have changed perceptions in the post-colonial era.

- Town planning in India took on a newer urgency and greater emphasis

was laid in improving amenities slum improvement, piped drinking water,
underground sewage disposal became vital to the municipalities.

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Industry and architecture

- The new techniques and building material represented the new art
of engineering and a new faith in industrial and scientific progress
that was transforming Indian urban society .

- Buildings became symbols of ‘progress’ and were seen as ‘modern’

by many Indians themselves.

- Synthetic products and prefabricated parts were imported into the

country in large quantities.

- Structural Steel happened to be the ‘bone’ of Indian Industry .

- There is no alternative to structural steel till this date .

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 Colonial Architectural Education

- The education of Indians in architecture began first at low level .

- The first school to teach architecture in modern way, was the School of
Architecture set up in Bombay .

- Indians participated as junior supervisors, assistants and draftsmen. Some

had been trained at the engineering colleges.

- The first school to teach architecture in modern way, was the School of
Architecture set up in Bombay .

- The official aim was to teach the students the principles of both Indian and
European architecture so as to develop “greater and nobler monuments of
Indian architecture.

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 Architecture and Nationalism

- If government schools had an ambivalent attitude to design,

nationalist politicians hardly gave it any thought.

- The rising tide of nationalism had begun to affect the art-world,

specially in Bengal.

- A few buildings were commissioned which were meant to herald a

new ‘Indian Style’. For example, the Congress office at Patna, Hindu
Mahasabha Bhavan and the Laxmi-Narayan (Birla temple) at Delhi
etc. all designed by Siris Chandra. This was mainly because no one
was very sure as to what kind of structure constituted a ‘modern
national style’.

- Jawaharlal Nehru himself who was instrumental in deciding that

the most prestigious and ambitious projects of modern India, the
building of the new capital of Punjab, at Chandigarh, would go to Le
Corbusier and his brand of architecture - modern and international

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THANK YOU

Name : Neha Rokade

Ty Barch

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