Architecture in colonies around the world has been influenced by the culture that the settlers brought with them to the new land and resulte...
Architecture in colonies around the world has been influenced by the culture that the settlers brought with them to the new land and resulted in a hybrid essence of many cultures and influences. The British brought timber-framed structures with chimneys, which, in India, became a decorative element only as it was not a requirement in Indian climatic conditions. Steeply pitched gable roofs, fireplaces (sometimes purely decorative), and a classically elegant look with symmetrical simplicity are recurring aspects.
The Portuguese gave India the galleried patio house. Danish and French signature nuances are evident in many parts of the Colonial architecture in the country, mainly in churches and urban settlements. Stucco facades are also an aspect of this style. Other elements include Indo-Saracenic motifs like stone, decorated tile marble, and stained glass which is Victorian in essence but heavily influenced by native Indian styles. These elements can be applied to homes in the form of gothic cusped arches, domes, spires, tracery, and minarets. The designs have to be adapted to the surrounding ambience to ensure that the building profile is not an aberration on the skyline.The Indo-Saracenic style largely has an Indian influence on the exterior but with a Victorian interior. Additions of Oriental motifs in chajjas, jaalis, and chhattris make the styling suitable to the regional context.
Indo-Saracenic style
This style of architecture evolved as an Indo-Gothic variation, with influences from other cultures. Nowadays, the design of a home with these aspects should include some of the identifying features of the style like onion-shaped domes, overhanging eaves of pitched roofs, and pointed cusped or scalloped arches. The roofs can also be adapted to a vault shape with domed kiosks and miniature domes covering smaller areas of the home. Harem windows, open pavilions and arcading with a pierced facade complete the look. It is evident that the Colonial style would be highly unsuitable in the contemporary context where modern idioms dictate the architectural language of the built space. Homes adopting styles of times past are ideally adapted where the home is set in a large estate and follows a traditional theme within the internal decor to afford visual continuity of the artistic medium.In the right setting, Colonial homes add a grandeur that is evocative of royalty and history. A space that speaks of times past, steeped in culture and tradition, yet adapted with all the trappings of modern living to ensure a luxurious lifestyle in a thematic environment.
Courtesy: Timesofindia
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