COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE IN WORLD

• WHAT IS COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE?

• In short, colonial architecture is any type of architecture that
incorporates classic architectural elements of a ‘mother country’ in
buildings or structures in territories overseas. This is commonly found
in former European ‘colonies’ where continental architecture found
its way to the Americas, Asia, and beyond. Often, traditional
elements mixed with the local culture led to a stylistic hybrid, a
unique architectural style not found anywhere else in the world.
Commonly we distinguish between Spanish Colonial, Portuguese
colonial, British colonial, French colonial, and Dutch colonial. Less
frequently, however, we can also identify buildings in the Italian
Colonial style and the German Colonial style.

• DUTCH COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

• Dutch Colonial architecture can primarily be found in Indonesia,
South Africa, as well as parts of South Asia and North America. In
contrast to the red brick used in the Netherlands at the time,
buildings in the colonies were whitewashed and often featured
overhanging roofs. Dutch Colonial architecture may have had its
beginnings in the 17th century, but fully bloomed in the late 19th and
early 20th century.
 Architectural features
•  Dutch colonial architecture is similar to the British. It
frequently featured two-story homes that were
symmetrically designed (although the Dutch weren't as
insistent on this). Dutch houses also very frequently featured
paired chimneys, one at each end of the rectangular house.
• A few British colonial houses did as well, but not as many.
Dutch houses were also noted for the use of a Dutch door,
which has a top half that opens while the bottom half stays
shut. 
 GALLE, SRI LANKA
• One such building is the “Groote Kerk Church”, which was first built
around 1640. It is located a few yards from the main gate entrance
into the huge fort. The church was built in the Doric style of that era
and built in the form of a cruciform. Looking from the outside, the
church has no central tower, the roof is supported by two Dutch
gables and is styled with double scroll molding. The original ceiling
was pained blue and had golden stars embossed on the paint.
• The church has a tiled roof and beautiful ornate decorations in the
front and back of the building.
• Inside the church, there are high ceilings that are made out of
ironwood and there are many tombs stones on the floor of the
church, which are written in Dutch with Dutch designs of that
period. There is also an organ which was placed there in 1760. The
church features magnificent stain glass windows, which allow the
sunlight into the church and has two huge timber doors which lead
you inside.
 GERMAN COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
• The German ‘colonial empire’ was short-lived and primarily limited to
sub-Saharan Africa in the late 19th century as Germany lost but all of
its colonial territories after their defeat in World War I. Today, the
only countries with visible traces of German colonialism are Namibia
and parts of Togo.
•  The most important ones are the Deutsche Africa Bank building,
which is a national monument and was first built in 1907; the
Felsenkirche, or Rock Church, a national monument since 1978,
which is located on Diamond Hill and is a church in vertical Gothic
style consecrated in 1912 – the best views of the church are from the
Luderitz Nest Hotel.
 Architectural features
• Common  characteristics  of  their  permanent  houses 
included: a symmetrical façade, thick stone walls, a steeply pi
tched  endgabled 
roof usually covered with wood shingles or 
clay tiles; an attic story with windows at the gable ends  and
 shed dormers on the roof, a porch at the gable end of  the
 house or at the front of the house; small casement windows 
with battened shutters, 
 FRENCH COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
• French colonialism primarily took place in North America and the
Carribean between the early 17th century and the late 19th century. In
the later years, the French style also found its way to the colonies in
Africa and Asia (‘French Indochina’). The French style took on different
shapes throughout its colonies, usually bending to the dominant climate
and available building materials
• NEW ORLEANS, USA
• New Orleans is one of the best places in the United States to see French
Colonial architecture. The city was established as a French colony in the
early 18th century.
• Within the French Quarter, the French colonial style has uniquely
blended with the Spanish styles and can be seen in the three steepled
St. Louis Cathedral, hipped roofs of the townhomes, and the intricately
wrought iron designs of the balconies. The Cathedral is the most
important building displaying the French architectural style laced with
heavy Spanish influences.
 Architectural features
• French colonial architecture is really noticeable by the roof
and porch. French colonial roofs tend to be hipped, or
shaped like a pyramid, with very large overhanging eaves.
These eaves covered a sizeable porch that often wrapped
around the building, called the gallery.
• Besides the hipped roof, dominant eaves, and gallery, there
are a few other common traits we may see in French colonial
architecture. The eaves were often supported by thin
wooden columns, exterior stairs were common as many
buildings had two stories, and most rooms had French doors,
or doors with windows made of multiple small panes.
  
 BRITISH COLONIAL
•  the British Empire dating back to the late 15th century, it comes as no
surprise that British Colonial architecture can be found far and wide
throughout the world. 
• . British Colonial architecture is often an eclectic mix of styles and
materials, representing traditional British values and local customs.
• The best examples of Indian colonial architecture of the time are therefore
the government buildings. Government House or Rashtrapati Bhavanhome
to the Indian president. Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was opened on
Christmas Day in 1929, is not only imposing but also beautiful, built of red
and pale orange bricks and topped with an enormous dome. Interesting
fact – it is the largest residence of any head of state in the world.
• this building is the combination of classic European architecture and Indian
architecture. Colonial architecture is its most interesting when local culture
gets integrated into European architecture, creating something new, and
Rashtrapati Bhavan is a great example of this. It is clearly British, but at the
same time, there are large water bowls, overhanging eaves, lattice screens
and elephant statues that come from Indian architecture. Even the dome,
which is a common feature of European architecture, is said to also be
influenced by the Sanchi Stupa. Even on a rainy day, Rashtrapati Bhavan
does not fail to stand out from the grey and impress
 Architectural features
• British colonial buildings in North America tend to be defined
by a high devotion to symmetry, especially in the facade. This
symmetry was generally achieved through the placement of
doors and windows in the two stories of well-to-do houses.
Besides that, the British often placed pilasters or columns
around the door, and had a particular taste for shutters
around the windows.
• Wood and brick were the most common building materials,
largely due to the availability of these materials more than
anything else.
The end