Unit 5 - Imp Topics

Architecture of Colonialism, Modernity and Unit
Nationalism in India 5
Neo Classicism in India

 Neo-Classical architecture in India was initiated by the European colonists
who brought with them the vast concept of their 'world view' and the
history of European architecture including Romanesque, Neo-Classical,
Gothic and Renaissance.
 At Chennai (Madras) large number of security asked for wider growth
outside the confines of the fort walls. This resulted in the spread of Madras
'flat-tops', garden houses set in large, landscaped compounds. These
houses, with deep verandahs to offer shade, were adapted from Palladian
prototypes.
 Pedimented centerpieces and curved bays to the garden frontage were
common themes, imparting a sense of grandeur and presence as well as
providing a welcome respite from the severe rays of sun. Some of the
notable survivals include the Adyar Club, the old Madras Club, Brodie Castle
and Government House, Guindy.
 Kolkata became the effective capital of British India, and the East India
Company thus kept on erecting public buildings
 With the dominance of European architecture in the city of Kolkata, native
merchants adopted European styles for their own houses and mansions in a
curious process of hybridization. It is not uncommon to find European
houses enriched with Hindu-style capitals or a compendium of strange
motifs highlighted in gaudy colours. This cross-fertilization of architectural
styles even affected the mosques. The mosque of Tipu Sultan, for instance,
is a fascinating example of European forms and details being applied to a
functional Islamic building.
 The transformation of Kolkata and Chennai (Madras) from commercial
trading enclaves into elegant neo-classical cities coincided with changing
perceptions of British activity in India. Trade remained important, but the
conscious reflection of the values of Greece and Rome in the monumental
civic architecture of the period reflected a growing awareness of a wider
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political and imperial role. This was expressed in a number of buildings

throughout India. In Chennai (Madras), the ambitious remodeling of
Government House by the second Lord Clive and the construction of a huge
monumental basilica as a Banqueting Hall proclaimed this change in British
perceptions.
 The grand pedimented ends of the Hall were enriched with arms
celebrating British triumphs at Plassey and Seringapatam.
 With the growth and development of Kolkata, it blossomed into a city of
palaces, a magnificent expression of the rising British power. A whole series
of classical perspectives was formed, with vistas terminated by prominent
public buildings and monuments, such as the Town Hall, the Mint, Metcalfe
Hall and the La Martiniere schools.
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 European ideas of townscape, planning and layout were imposed on an

Asian city on a scale which had never been witnessed before.
 The same process can be recognized elsewhere in the British ruled India.
In Mumbai a spectacular New Greek town hall was commenced in the year
1820, the finest neo-classical building in India. At Murshidabad, a fine new
palace was designed by General Duncan Macleod for the Nawab, founded
on Government House, Kolkata, while at Chennai the shoreline boasted a
list of classical buildings which provoked comparison with the
Mediterranean in the age of Alexander.
Examples
1. Town Hall / Asiatic society of Mumbai

 Location: Horniman Circle, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Fort, Mumbai
 Town Hall is one of the most majestic structures among the other heritage
buildings in the city of Mumbai. One can say that this building represents
one of the last architectural remnants of the Victorian Bombay (Mumbai).
 The Town hall was colloquially called as 'Tondal' during the 19th century.
The Town Hall houses the 'Asiatic society of Bombay' (Mumbai), which is a
public state library in the city. For this reason, the structure is considered a
storehouse of information.
 Architecture: The Town Hall was designed by Colonel Thomas Cowper who
was one of the best engineers in Bombay (Mumbai). With a span of 200
feet and height of 100 feet, the structure was inspired by Greek and Roman
styles of architecture.
 The entrance of the building is adorned with a Grecian portico and 8
impressive Doric styled pillars. There is a flight of 30 steps leading to the
entrance of the Town Hall. The entire construction was made of stones
brought from England and was beautifully designed in a neo-classical
fashion.
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 Within the building, the floors are covered in ancient wood, the staircases
are spiral and the terraces are adorned with beautiful wrought iron. The
hall boasts of a collection of remarkable marble statues of Indian patrons of
the 19th century.
2. Bangalore Town Hall

 Bangalore Town Hall is a neoclassical municipal
building in Bangalore, India. The town hall is named after
the philanthropist and former president of Bangalore city municipality, Sir
K.P Puttanna Chetty.
 The foundation stone for the building was laid by the
then Maharaja of Mysore, Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar, on 6 March 1933.
The building was completed on 11 September 1935. It was inaugurated by
crown prince Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar.
 Built by Sir Mirza Ismail, the iconic building represents the European Neo
Classical Greco-Roman style of architecture.
 The main auditorium has been constructed in a rectangular shape and has
two floors. It has a seating accommodation for 1038 people. The interiors
have been elaborately done in teakwood.
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 The building has a flight of steps that lead to the entrance porch. This porch
has identical Tuscan columns resting on both sides of it and adds a look of
elegant beauty to the building.
3. St. George's Cathedral, Chennai
 The Neoclassical edifice was designed by Col. J.L. Caldwell, senior

Company engineer, and Maj. Thomas de Havilland. Inspired by the
works of London architect James Gibbs, who designed St. Martin-in-
the-Fields, the parish church of the British royal family, Caldwell and de
Havilland replicated his design.
 The building is built in stone, and despite its solidity, appears

weightless in pale white. Its Ionic columns at the entrance and on the
sides soar above, the scroll-like volutes darkened by moss and time.
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 The massive portico leads to the main entrance.
 Built of lime and mortar, the cathedral has a long nave, two flanking
aisles and two side entrances built on a tier of steps lined with palms. It
is filled with statues, busts and memorials to men, women and clergy
who administered, fought and died for the Empire.
 Stained-glass windows filter daylight in shades so colourful. Sunbeams

pierce the panels on the altar, with its ascension of Christ sculpted in
alabaster.
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Gothic Revival Architecture in India

 Gothic style of architecture came about during the 12th century in France,
and was prevalent till the 16th century. It spread across Europe and was
mainly used in building churches and cathedrals.
 Classic characteristics of Gothic architecture include ribbed vaults, stone
structures and pointed arches. Palaces, town halls, castles and other such
magnificent structures were also sometimes built in this architectural style.
 This form of architecture that was unique to Europe, reached India during
the rule of British. When Christianity was introduced to India, architects
started building churches and cathedrals of India in the same form.
Examples
1. St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai

 Also known as San Thome Basilica, it was built in the 16th century by the
Portuguese. It is one of the three churches in the world that was built over
the tomb of one of the twelves apostles of Jesus, Saint Thomas. The other
two churches are built in Vatican City and Spain.
 The church was rebuilt by the British in 1893 and that is the version we see
today. This church is a Roman Catholic minor basilica that has high spires,
tinted glasses and a museum that consists of artefacts related to Saint
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Thomas.
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Fort, Mumbai

 Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus , also known by its former name Victoria
Terminus is a historic terminal train station and UNESCO World Heritage
Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
 The terminus was designed by British architectural engineer Frederick
William Stevens in the style of Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival
architecture.
 Its construction began in 1878, in a location south of the old Bori Bunder
railway station,and was completed in 1887, the year marking 50 years of
Queen Victoria's rule, the building being named, Victoria Terminus.
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 The station building is designed in the High Victorian Gothic style of

architecture. The building exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian
Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and classical Indian architecture.
 The skyline, turrets, pointed arches, and eccentric ground plan are close to
classical Indian palace architecture.
 The station stands as an example of 19th-century railway architectural
marvels for its advanced structural and technical solutions. The CST was
constructed using a high level of engineering both in terms of railway and
civil engineering. It is one of the first and finest products of the use of
industrial technology, merged with the Gothic Revival style in India.
 The centrally domed office structure has a 330-foot long platform
connected to a 1,200-foot long train shed, and its outline provides the
skeleton plan for the building. CST's dome of dovetailed ribs, built without
centering, was considered as a novel achievement of the era.
 The interior of the building was conceived as a series of large rooms with
high ceilings.
 It has a C-shaped plan which is symmetrical on an east-west axis. All the
sides of the building are given equal value in the design. It is crowned by a
high central dome, which acts as the focal point. The dome is an octagonal
ribbed structure with a colossal female figure symbolizing Progress, holding
a torch pointing upwards in her right hand and a spoked wheel in her left
hand.
 The side wings enclose the courtyard, which opens on to the street. The
wings are anchored by monumental turrets at each of their four corners,
which balance and frame the central dome. The façades present the
appearance of well-proportioned rows of windows and arches. The
ornamentation in the form of statuary, bas-reliefs, and friezes is exuberant
yet well controlled.
 The columns of the entrance gates are crowned by figures of a lion
(representing Great Britain) and a tiger (representing India).
 The main structure is built from a blend of India sandstone and limestone,
while high-quality Italian marble was used for the key decorative elements.
The main interiors are also decorated: the ground floor of the North Wing,
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known as the Star Chamber, which is still used as the booking office, is
embellished with Italian marble and polished Indian blue stone. The stone
arches are covered with carved foliage and grotesques.
3. All Saints' Cathedral, Allahabad

 All Saints' Cathedral, is an Anglican cathedral located in Prayagraj, India.
 Modeled after 13th-century Gothic style churches,it is among the Gothic
Revival buildings built by the British during their rule in India.
 British architect Sir William Emerson, who also designed the Victoria
Memorial, Kolkata, designed the cathedral in 1871.
 The cathedral's nave is about 40 feet wide and 130 feet long, the total
length of the church is about 240 feet and the internal width is about 56
feet.
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 It is designed to accommodate 300 to 400 persons. It is a remarkable

example of the architecture of colonial India.
 The glass and marble work of the Cathedral is perfectly preserved even
after more than 125 years.
 Narrow aisles were made in the building thus giving a total internal width of
about 56 feet. There are two transepts to the north and south respectively,
a chancel with an ambulatory, a central tower at the intersection of the
nave and transepts and a west porch.
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Indo Saracenic Architecture in India

 Indo-Saracenic, also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, and,
formerly, Hindoo Style, was a revival architectural style mostly used
by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public
and government buildings in the British Raj, and the palaces of rulers of
the princely states.
 It drew stylistic and decorative elements from native Indo-Islamic
architecture, especially Mughal architecture, which the British regarded as
the classic Indian style, and less often, Hindu temple architecture.
 The basic layout and structure of the buildings tended to be close to that
used in contemporary buildings in other styles, such as Gothic
revival and Neo-Classical, with specific Indian features and decoration
added.
 Saracen is a term used in Europe until the 19th century referring to Muslim
and/or Arabic-speaking people and regions of the Middle East and North
Africa.
 The first Indo-Saracenic building is said to be the Chepauk Palace,
completed in 1768, in present-
day Chennai (Madras). Bombay and Calcutta (as they then were), as the
main centres of the Raj administration, saw many buildings constructed in
the style.
Characters:
1. onion (bulbous) domes

2. Chhajja, overhanging eaves, often supported by conspicuous brackets
3. pointed arches, cusped arches, or scalloped arches
4. horseshoe arches, in fact characteristic of Islamic Spain or North Africa, but
often used
5. contrasting colours of voussoirs round an arch, especially red and white;
another feature more typical of North Africa and Spain
6. curved roofs in Bengali styles such as char-chala
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7. domed chhatri kiosks on the roofline

8. pinnacles
9. towers or minarets
10. harem windows
11. open pavilions or pavilions with Bangala roofs
12. jalis or openwork screens
13. Mashrabiya or jharokha-style screened windows
 Chief proponents of this style of architecture included Robert Fellowes

Chisholm, Charles Mant, Henry Irwin, William Emerson, George
Wittet and Frederick Stevens, along with numerous other skilled
professionals and artisans throughout Europe and the Americas.
Examples
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1. The Gateway of India, Mumbai

 The Gateway of India is an arch-monument built in the early twentieth-
century located in the city of Mumbai, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
 It was erected to commemorate the landing of the first British monarch in
India; King-Emperor George V and Queen-Empress Mary's arrival at Apollo
Bunder, Mumbai (then Bombay) in December 1911.
 Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, incorporating elements of 16th-century
Gujarati architecture, the foundation stone for the gateway was laid in
March 1913.
 The final design of the monument by architect George Wittet was
sanctioned only in 1914, and construction was completed in 1924. The
structure is a triumphal arch made of basalt, which is 26 metres (85 feet)
high.
 After its construction the gateway was used as a symbolic ceremonial
entrance to British India for important colonial personnel. It has been called
a symbol of "conquest and colonisation" commemorating British colonial
legacy.
 The gateway's arch has a height of 26 metres (85 feet) with its central
dome being 15 metres (49 feet) in diameter.
 The monument is built of yellow basalt and reinforced concrete.The stones
were sourced locally while the perforated screens were brought in
from Gwalior.
 The monument faces towards the Mumbai Harbour. There are four turrets
on the structure of the gateway, and there are steps constructed behind
the arch of the gateway which lead to the Arabian Sea.
 The monument features intricate stone latticework (also known as
the jali work). The Scottish architect, George Wittet combined elements of
the Roman triumphal arch and 16th-century architecture of Gujarat.
 The architecture also combines indigenous architectural elements with
elements of Islamic architecture, known as the Indo-Saracenic.
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2. The National Art Gallery, Chennai

 The National Art Gallery situated in Egmore, Chennai, is one of the oldest
art galleries in India. Constructed with red stones sourced
from Satyavedu in Andhra Pradesh, the Gallery was built in 1906 in Indo-
Sarsenic architecture and houses paintings
from Thanjavur, Rajasthan, Kangra and Deccan areas, as well
as sandalwood sculptures.
 Earlier known as Victoria Memorial Hall, the National Art Gallery was built
during the celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in Indo-Saracenic
style, designed by architect Henry Irwin. The National Art Gallery was built
of sandstone in the year 1907 by T. Namberumal Chetty.
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3. Chepauk Palace, Chennai

 Chepauk Palace (Tamil :கலச ) was the official residence of
the Nawab of Arcot from 1768 to 1855. It is situated in the neighbourhood
of Chepauk in Chennai, India and is constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style
of architecture.
 Known for its intricate carvings, wide arches, red brick walls and lime
mortar, Chepauk Palace was built by the engineer Paul Benfield, who
completed it in 1768. It was one of the first buildings in India to be built in
the Indo-Saracenic style.
 The palace comprises two blocks, namely, Kalas Mahal and Humayun
Mahal. Kalas Mahal was the official residence of the Nawabs from 1768 to
1855. Humayun Mahal, the northern block, was virtually rebuilt between
1868 and 1871 by Robert Chisholm when assigned the work of creating a
new records office and building for the Revenue Board by Governor Lord
Napier.
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 The palace is built over an area of 117 acres and is surrounded by a

wall.The Humayun Mahal is spread over 66,000 square feet and has
ventilators on the terrace and a connecting corridor to the Kalas Mahal.
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Cantonment
A description of Cantonment according to a traveller who visited it in October
1819 :
“The general plan of a cantonment is to have a good piece of ground for the
exercise of the troops in front, with a line of small buildings for depositing the
arms in the rear. Next to these are huts of the sepoys and in their rear the
bungalows of the officers, which are built in the cottage style, very well adapted
for the climate, and each having a garden around it, with a range of offices,
consisting of a kitchen, stables and servants’ houses.”
 A cantonment is a military or police quarters. The origin of the

word cantonment comes from the French word canton,
meaning corner or district. Each cantonment was essentially a well-defined
and clearly demarcated unit of territory set apart for the quartering and
administering of troops.
 Many cities in the Indian subcontinent, such
as Ahmedabad, Ambala, Belgaum, Bangalore, Danapur, Jabalpur, Kanpur, B
athinda, Delhi, Meerut, Pune, Peshawar, Ramgarh, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Secu
nderabad, and Trichy, contained large cantonments of the former British
Indian Army, with Meerut and Ramgarh being the most important
cantonments in North India after the headquarters at Rawalpindi.
 Meerut was established in 1803 and was for 150 years the biggest
cantonment in the region.
 While in the 18th and 19th century cantonments in India were viewed as
semi-permanent, by the turn of the 20th century they became permanent
garrisons, and were further entrenched as such via the military reforms
of Lord Kitchener in 1903 and the Cantonments Act of 1924.
 However, irrespective of the local factors, the paramount consideration in
setting up all these cantonments was the need for military camps in various
strategic locations of India to establish, maintain and consolidate the rule of
a foreign power.
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 Spread of diseases such as diarrhea, malaria, and venereal diseases among

the troops necessitated the cantoning (insulation) of these military camps
from the local population.
 This consideration coupled with the desire of an alien ruling elite to
distance itself from the native population led to the development of an
insulated type of character in all these cantonments which continues today.
 Ambala Cantonment is a cantonment town in Ambala district in the state

of Haryana, India. It is 200 km north of Delhi and 55 km southwest
of Chandigarh. This cantonment was established in the year 1843 and is an
important centre for manufacturing of scientific and surgical instruments.
 Kanpur Cantonment (popularly referred to as Kanpur Cantt) is a military
cantonment in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Kanpur Cantonment was
established in the year 1811 and is situated on the right bank of river
Ganges and is bound by Kanpur city area on the remaining three sides.
Kanpur Cantonment is the largest cantonment in India, both by area and
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population. The area of the Cantonment is approx. 4243.0084 acres

(17 km2) out of which the Bungalow Area is 3899.1784 acres and the Civil
Area is 334.83 acres.
 The Bangalore Cantonment (1806–1881) was a military cantonment of
the British Raj based in the Indian city of Bangalore. The cantonment
covered an area of 13 square miles (34 km2), extending from
the Residency on the west to Binnamangala on the east and from
the Tanneries in the north to Agram in the south.
 By area, it was the largest British military cantonment in South India. The
British garrison stationed in the cantonment included three artillery
batteries, and regiments of the cavalry, infantry, sappers, miners, mounted
infantry, supply and transport corps and the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers.
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Bunglow
 British colonial rule affected India’s social and institutional structure. Its
impact included attitudes towards housing design and settlement patterns
of which the emergence of the bungalow type was important.
 The new concept of the bungalow arrived as an alien house form in this
setting. Its roots lie in the early attempts by British military engineers in
Bengal during the 18th century to transform a model of a traditional
domestic structure into a standardised and permanent dwelling for the East
India Company when they were still traders in the subcontinent.
 In its evolved version, the archetypal bungalow in the 19th century

consisted of a low, one-storey, spacious building, having a symmetrical
internal layout, with a veranda all around, situated in a large, landscaped
compound.
 It was a counter concept to the more or less socially geared, community-

oriented, collective lifestyle that was manifest in the urban (craftsman-
designed) and rural dwellings of a vast number of dense and organically
grown settlements of medieval India. The bungalow thus reflected very
different ways of life, gender roles, and the hierarchy of family members,
visitors and servants
Characters:
 Compounded property
 The amount of land enclosed was a symbol of status. (varied from 15:1 to
1:1) - the garden to built form ratio. it was based on the ranking of the
officers and showed british hierarchical system.
 Early bungalows had long low classical lines and detailings, along with
gothic revival changes like pitched roof and richly carpented details.
 Evolution of colonnaded vernadas - initially as climate responsive feature-
open colonnade in warmer areas and covered with glass and arcade in
colder zones. Veranda acted as a buffer.
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 As a protection against the hot Indian climate, the English built their
bungalows within compounds of shady trees and the rooms had very thick
walls and high ceilings surrounded by covered verandas.
 Some wealthy high-ranking sahibs in Calcutta even maintained garden
houses on the banks of the river. Some British officials like Metcalfe and
William Fraser, in Delhi followed the Mughal practice and built tehkhanas-
Tehkhana literally means basement. In their residences where they
entertained their guests.
 For a longest time a bungalow meant an isolated house in a large
compound having two or more storeys
Evolution
 Changes like- attached bathroom unlike earlier typologies when toilets

would be detached from the main living unit.
 Kitchen which was part of the house moved to a separate quarter adjacent,
which was the cooking place and servant living quarter.
 Separate and defined spaces for different activities like dining, living,
sleeping got evolved.
 Madras terrace roof evolved to become a pitched roof for need of attic
spaces.
 Platforms for kitchen - unlike the earlier concept of sitting down and
cooking.
The colonial bungalow concept – 2 categories
 Broadly speaking, there were two bungalow categories: the urban and the
rural. The rural ones were inhabited by British residents of India such as
managers of various plantations or factories in the 18th century onwards.
 They also included the dak bungalows (government guest houses usually in
remote localities) and other dwelling structures spread all over the districts
of British India. In urban areas, large pieces of land adjacent to the inner
city were reserved by the British for their cantonment and civil lines.
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 At the beginning of the 20th century, the bungalow, set in a spacious lot,
was the norm as the residential house type for British military officers
associated with the Indian Army, colonial administrators and business
people, as well as a small group of wealthy Indian elites.
 The early bungalow was typically austere, built from brick or stone, with
simple volumes and a stark whitewashed finish. It was symmetrical in form
and largely so in spatial organisation. It had a hall in the centre, rooms on
each side, and a verandah in front facing the garden and sometimes also on
both sides. The roof was either hipped-gabled or flat.
 The kitchen and servants’ quarters were detached and located behind the
main house in most instances. The bungalow was served by a retinue of
Indian servants. The entire set-up reflected the sheer contrast of lifestyle of
the natives and the rulers.
 This basic model developed into a more European Classical form in outward
appearance in the 19th century to indicate the superior socio-position of
the British owners.
 The bungalow at times resembled a villa, with its Doric, and later Tuscan,
columns on the facade holding up the roof. It became a symbol of Britain’s
commercial and military might.
 The labour for building the bungalows was supplied by Indian craftsmen
and contractors – thus the bungalow’s physical fabric remained rooted in
Indian architectural traditions in spite of changes in the construction
materials, technology and practices.
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New Delhi City Plan

 The period of transition (1900 - 1925)
 Architecture to emphasise the synthesis of indian styles of mughal and
hindu architecture was evident during this period. the result was a hybrid
style of capitol complex at delhi designed by architects - Erwin Lutyens and
Herbert baker.
NEW DELHI WHY DELHI AS CAPITAL?
 CENTRALIZED LOCATION: for ease in administration- proximity to all

places- west to east from punjab (which extended to the now pakistan) to
bengal (which extended to the now bangladesh) north to south- from
kashmir (including pok) to kanyakumari.
 NOT AN EASY TARGET: difficult to attack- (calcutta was a port city- an easy
target for attacks).
 VAST HISTORY: already it contained more than 7 individual cities within
itself and each of them had a distinct site, and a distinct name-
indraprastha, lal kot/qila rai pithora, kilugarhi, siri, tughlaqabad,
jahanpanah, firozabad, mubarakabad, dinpanah and shahajahanabad.
 GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION: foothills of the himalayas- boundary to the vast
desert- had pleasant winters as in england and bearable summers. had a lot
of greenery (the ridge) and a perennial source of water (the yamuna).
 POLITICAL REASONS: decline of the mughals.
PLANNING:
 Much of New Delhi, planned by the leading 20th-century British

architect Edwin Lutyens, was laid out to be the central administrative area
of the city as a testament to Britain's imperial ambitions.
 New Delhi is structured around two central promenades called
the Rajpath and the Janpath. The Rajpath, or King's Way, stretches from
the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate. The Janpath (Hindi: "Path of the
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People"), formerly Queen's Way, begins at Connaught Circus and cuts the
Rajpath at right angles. 19 foreign embassies are located on the nearby
Shantipath (Hindi: "Path of Peace"), making it the largest diplomatic
enclave in India.
 At the heart of the city is the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhavan (formerly
known as Viceroy's House) which sits atop Raisina Hill.
 The Secretariat, which houses ministries of the government of India, flanks
out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
 The Parliament House, designed by Herbert Baker, is located at the Sansad
Marg, which runs parallel to the Rajpath.
 Connaught Place is a large, circular commercial area in New Delhi, modelled
after the Royal Crescent in England. Twelve separate roads lead out of the
outer ring of Connaught Place, one of them being the Janpath.
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 On december 15, 1911, king george v and queen mary laid the foundation
stone for new delhi, at a darbar under a purposely built shah jahani dome.
 The message was clear: the british were the legitimate successors of the
mughals and their new capital was intended to express the power of the
raj, just as shah jahan’s capital had expressed the authority of the mughals.
 Lutyens had initially designed delhi with all the streets crossing at right
angles, much like in new york. However, lord hardinge told him of the dust
storms that sweep the landscape in these parts, insisting on roundabouts,
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hedges and trees to break their force, giving him the plans of rome, paris
new delhi initial plan and washington to study and apply to delhi.
 INTENTIONS OF THE LAYOUT: lutyens’ delhi was planned on the most
spacious garden city lines with the great avenues decorated with classical
buildings with lush landscape.
 The layout of lutyens delhi was governed by three major visual corridors,
linking the government complex with :
1) JAMA MASJID 2) INDRAPRASTHA 3) SAFDARJUNGS TOMB
 FEATURES
• The plan reflects lutyens’ “transcendent fervour for geometric
symmetry,” which is expressed through amazing sequences of triangles and
hexagons, through sightlines and axes.
• lutyens’ plan is also remarkable for the generous green spaces, lawns,
watercourses, flower and fruit-bearing trees, and their integration with
the parks developed around monuments.
• The attempt was to include all natural and historical wonders in the new
city.
 ROAD NETWORK
• Besides the major pathway, there were extremely wide avenues. The
original design of the road network was capable of accommodating 6000
vehicles; however these avenues, had the potential of increasing their
carriageway-the reason why the road layout has survived till today.
• In general the road network consisted of diagonals and radials, at 30
degree/ 60 degree angles to the main axis, forming triangles and hexagons.
 THE GOVERNMENT COMPLEX/ ADMINISTRATIVE AREA

• lutyens laid out the central administrative area of the city.
• At the heart of the city was the impressive rashtrapati bhawan, located
on the top of raisina hill. The rajpath connects india gate to rashtrapati
bhawan, while janpath, which crosses it at a right angle, connects south
end with connaught place.
29
• The secretariat building, which houses various ministries of the

government of india including prime minister’s office are beside the
rashtrapati bhawan and were designed by herbert baker.
• Also designed by baker was the parliament house, located on the sansad
marg, running parallel with the rajpath.
 THE RASHTRAPATI BHAWAN LUTYEN’S GRANDIOSE GOVERNMENT HOUSE

(RASHTRAPATI BHAWAN)
 Located on raisina hill, and one of new delhi’s major thoroughfares, rajpath,
connects it to the purana qila
• Lord hardinge chose the raisina hill for locating the viceroy’s palace
because: it was a well drained. It constituted of slopes and plains between
the ridge and the river.
• Its eastern and southern margins were studded with monuments of
vanished empires. A broad crescent from shahjahanabad and kotla firoz
shah, south to tughlaqabad and the qutub with tombs of safdarjung and
lodhis as well as jantar mantar in the foreground could be viewed from the
site.
30
 THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE

• The parliament house was designed by edwin lutyens and herbert baker.
•It was built with indigenous materials and by indian labour and the
architecture of the building bears a close imprint of the indian tradition.
• The layout of fountains both inside and outside the building, the use of
indian symbols, the “chhajjas” and the varied forms of “jali” in marble are
reminders of the story of the craftsmanship displayed in ancient
monuments and memorials.
 INDIA GATE, NEW DELHI
31
• The monumental roman arch, completed in 1921 is edwin lutyens

adaptation of the arc de triomphe in paris and stands in a hexagonal large
space with roads radiating from it.
• it is known as the war memorial arch and commemorates indian soldiers
killed in world war i and other wars like the afghan war.
• It is 138 feet high but this increased optically by the system of steps on
the roof and the utter flatness of the surrounding plain.
• Its chief character includes the fact that the arch of the main opening
although 75 feet high springs from a point less than half way of the whole
building.
• The cornice is thin and prominent- unusually so for a monument of this
kind. The mass takes the form of three irregular steps, the topmost and
deepest of which has its narrow ends interrupted by concave recesses.
 On top of this rests a small dome, finished with a convex eye, slightly
moulded. This is a miniature adaptation of that at the rashtrapati bhavan.
• The whole arch stands on a low red base. The sides are pierced by two
lesser openings, each 54 feet high and decorated with stone pineapples
above the doorways at the bottom.
32
Art Deco in India

 In 1925, Paris hosted a world fair that heralded what would soon be known
as Art Deco: the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels
Modernes(International Exposition of Decorative Arts and Modern
Industries).
 Art Deco, short for Arts Décoratifs combined bold geometric designs with
Chinese, Egyptian and Indian motifs. Flat roofs, Smooth walls, Bold exterior
decorations, modern building materials, Stencilled fonts are key features of
Art deco architecture.
 The Art-Deco movement came to India in the 1930s and continued to be in
vogue way into the 1940s. First generation Indian architects were drawn to
its futuristic & modern look. The availability of new building technology and
materials like RCC contributed to an environment for art-deco to bloom.
 The iconic Oval Maidan in the south of the city is flanked by two Mumbais.
One side is mostly Victorian New-Gothic from the late 19th century, with
buildings covered in turrets, gargoyles and curlicues; on the other side is a
stunning panorama of Art Deco buildings from the early 1900s, with
curvilinear structures, pastelcoloured walls, marble corridors inlaid with
teak and sweeping balconies with stern brows.
 Art Deco may have originated in France in the early 1900s, but it was the
architects of what was then Bombay who embraced it with unbridled
enthusiasm, starting in the 1930s. They gave it their own unique flavor,
often adding elements in the design that gave it a distinctively Indian
character, creating a style often referred to as IndoDeco.
Characters
 Streamlining and rounded corners
 Rounded corners and streamlined designs influenced by the design of
airplanes, ships, trains, and automobiles in the early 20th century, made
33
buildings appear aerodynamic, fast, futuristic and sleek. This was done with
the intention to make Art Deco buildings appear modern and sophisticated.
 Nautical features
 Being a port city, Bombay was influenced by the era’s new ocean liners:
Bremen (1929), Queen Mary (1936) and Queen Elizabeth (1940). As a result
of this enchantment with the luxury and grandeur that these ocean liners
brought with them buildings were manifested with nautical features such
as porthole windows, ship deck-style railings and observatory towers.
 The frozen fountain
 The motif of the frozen fountain, a historical symbol for eternal life was
popularized by the French Glass designer Rene Lalique. Some of his best-
known works were seen in his designs at the 1926 Paris exposition. This
symbol soon became a prevalent feature in building facades and metal grills
on Art Deco buildings across Bombay
 Tropical imagery
 Influenced by the city’s abundance of tropical vegetation, Art deco
buildings are externally decorated with stylized forms of waves, sunburst
rays, tropical flora and fauna which can be seen in porch railings, facades,
metal balcony grilles, ornamental gates and porch railings.
 Eyebrows
 Eyebrows are projecting edges or "shelves" above a structures portico to
shade from direct sunlight and keep the interior cool. These also
highlighted the rhythmic horizontality of buildings.
 Architectural lettering
 Art Deco lettering on buildings took on the sleek and streamlined appeal of
the structure of these buildings. Typefaces consisted of a combination of
straight lines and segments of circles.
 Ziggurats and zigzags
 In the 1930s, the height of buildings in Bombay was limited by strict
developmental regulations over reclaimed land. In order to evoke allusions
34
to the verticality of skyscrapers whilst being restricted in their height, Art

Deco architects used the concept of stepping up and stepping back of roof
lines, used to mimic a ziggurat (a temple tower design adopted by
Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians of ancient Mesopotamia)
Examples
1.The New India Assurance Building

 The New India Assurance Building is an art deco office building made
of reinforced concrete and designed by Master, Sarhe and Bhuta, with
artistic designer N. G. Pansare. It was constructed in 1936 in Mumbai, India.
 The building's art deco architectural style combines modern art deco
features with a modified classicism, evidenced in the strong vertical ribs of
the façade that give the building a monumental appearance, making it
seem larger than it is in reality.
 Included in the design was a modern forced air cooling system with
centralised duct work. Projecting surfaces on the eastern and western sides
protect windows from the sun. To deal with potential power failures, the
windows were constructed to open and close.
35
Sculptures and bas reliefs
2. Cinema theatres in Mumbai
Eros Cinema, Churchgate
36
Edward Cinema, Kalbadevi
Liberty Cinema, Marine Lines
Art Deco in Chennai
 One of the earliest Art Deco structures in Chennai (then called as

Madras) is the Royapettah Clock Tower built in the 1920’s. The
National Insurance Building came up on NSC Bose (formerly
China Bazaar/Esplanade) Road in 1938. It was the first building of
this kind designed by an Indian, L.M. Chitale. Further down the
road, the iconic Dare house came up in 1940 as the office of
Parry’s company (the area is famous as Parry’s Corner).
37
The Royapettah Clock Tower
 The style was popular till the late 50s. Some of the other major
buildings that subscribe to it in Chennai are the Casino Cinema
Hall, Kamdhenu Theatre, Oceanic Hotel and Bombay Mutual
Building among others. Numerous bungalows inspired by Art Deco
designs were constructed in northern Chennai. Art Deco became
popular along the NSC Bose Road beginning from Parry’s Corner,
the stretch along the Esplanade and also the Poonamallee High
Road stretch between Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore
railway stations.
 The basic aim of this form has always been a monolithic

appearance with decorated motifs. Unlike in cities like New York
where ziggurats and chevrons (most notably the Chrysler Building
and the Empire State Building) made a mark, in Indian cities, most
of the designs adopted were rectangular forms arranged in
geometric fashion with clean lines and then broken up by curved
ornamental elements. Sometimes, floral or sunrise patterns were
used, mainly in the private bungalows. Art Deco buildings
sometimes had curvilinear corners around road junctions
(remember Dare house). This in itself became a style.
38
Casino Theatre with its iconic clean lines
 There was an attempt to indianize Art Deco. This sometimes

referred to as Indo-Deco, can be seen in the Oriental Insu rance
Building at the corners of the Armenian Street in George Town.
The building features a domed pavilion and ornamented
balconies, mixing with traditional art deco style. Art Deco
buildings in Chennai boasts of stepped corner windows, sweeping
porches, circular windows and rooms and projecting staircases.
39
The Oriental Insurance Building, a prime example of Indianized

Art Deco
40

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Architecture of Colonialism, Modernity and Unit

Neo Classicism in India

political and imperial role. This was expressed in a number of buildings

 European ideas of townscape, planning and layout were imposed on an

1. Town Hall / Asiatic society of Mumbai

2. Bangalore Town Hall

3. St. George's Cathedral, Chennai

 The Neoclassical edifice was designed by Col. J.L. Caldwell, senior

 The building is built in stone, and despite its solidity, appears

 The massive portico leads to the main entrance.

 Stained-glass windows filter daylight in shades so colourful. Sunbeams

Gothic Revival Architecture in India

1. St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai

2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Fort, Mumbai

 The station building is designed in the High Victorian Gothic style of

3. All Saints' Cathedral, Allahabad

 It is designed to accommodate 300 to 400 persons. It is a remarkable

Indo Saracenic Architecture in India

1. onion (bulbous) domes

7. domed chhatri kiosks on the roofline

 Chief proponents of this style of architecture included Robert Fellowes

1. The Gateway of India, Mumbai

2. The National Art Gallery, Chennai

3. Chepauk Palace, Chennai

 The palace is built over an area of 117 acres and is surrounded by a

 A cantonment is a military or police quarters. The origin of the

 Spread of diseases such as diarrhea, malaria, and venereal diseases among

 Ambala Cantonment is a cantonment town in Ambala district in the state

population. The area of the Cantonment is approx. 4243.0084 acres

 In its evolved version, the archetypal bungalow in the 19th century

 It was a counter concept to the more or less socially geared, community-

 Changes like- attached bathroom unlike earlier typologies when toilets

The colonial bungalow concept – 2 categories

New Delhi City Plan

NEW DELHI WHY DELHI AS CAPITAL?

 CENTRALIZED LOCATION: for ease in administration- proximity to all

 Much of New Delhi, planned by the leading 20th-century British

 THE GOVERNMENT COMPLEX/ ADMINISTRATIVE AREA

• The secretariat building, which houses various ministries of the

 THE RASHTRAPATI BHAWAN LUTYEN’S GRANDIOSE GOVERNMENT HOUSE

 THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE

 INDIA GATE, NEW DELHI

• The monumental roman arch, completed in 1921 is edwin lutyens

Art Deco in India

to the verticality of skyscrapers whilst being restricted in their height, Art

1.The New India Assurance Building

Sculptures and bas reliefs

2. Cinema theatres in Mumbai

Eros Cinema, Churchgate

Edward Cinema, Kalbadevi

Liberty Cinema, Marine Lines

Art Deco in Chennai

 One of the earliest Art Deco structures in Chennai (then called as

The Royapettah Clock Tower

 The basic aim of this form has always been a monolithic

Casino Theatre with its iconic clean lines

 There was an attempt to indianize Art Deco. This sometimes

The Oriental Insurance Building, a prime example of Indianized

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