Colonial Architecture Research Articles

Architectural analyses of 19th century Indo-Saracenic structures designed by British Architect Robert Chisholm in Vadodara

ABSTRACT A particular architectural style called ‘Indo-Saracenic’ emerged after 1860s and characterised British Colonial Architecture in India. Robert Chisholm was one of its early proponents who worked between the years 1860 to 1910. His initial phase of works emerged in the Madras Presidency and the later in the erstwhile Princely State of Baroda, now Vadodara. The author through the study of his works addresses the central research problematic of using “Indo-Saracenic” as an umbrella term, not distinguishing a huge number of local variants both in architectural historiography and pedagogy. Out of 27 buildings identified to have been designed by Chisholm in India, a critical sample of 10 career-defining buildings was extracted based on a definite shortlisting-criteria like typological uniqueness, structural integrity, heritage grading, etc. Four cases formed the critical sample from Vadodara: Faculty of Arts at Baroda College, Laxmivilas Palace, Khanderao Market and Nyaya Mandir. Two of them are discussed to find out if Chisholm’s architectural style constituted a unique localised Indo-Saracenic variant in Vadodara. The qualitative research tools used are historical/chronological research, typology studies, architectural analysis, etc.

Thomas Jefferson, Architect: Palladian Models, Democratic Principles, and the Conflict of Ideals

Thomas Jefferson, Architect: Palladian Models, Democratic Principles, and the Conflict of Ideals

Mobile Colonial Architecture: Facilitating Settler Colonialism’s Expansions, Expulsions, Resistance, and Decolonisation

ABSTRACT Grounded in space yet facilitated by mobility, settler colonialism has adopted distinct architectural devices. Tents, prefabricated shelters, mobile homes, shipping containers, and other portable structures, have created the scaffoldings of new colonial settlements, allowing for rapid territorial expansion. These mobile spatial objects have also served as instruments of expulsion and expropriation, facilitating the creation of spaces of counterinsurgency and displacement for the containment of rebellious and expelled locals, who themselves used mobile architecture as an instrument of resistance. From the historical British ‘Portable Colonial Cottage for Emigrants’ to the caravans used by Israeli settlers in the occupied territories and the creation of humanitarian spaces, these mobile structures have been part of the toolkit enabling colonial powers to rapidly rearrange people in space. This article draws on critical mobility and architectural studies to examine settler colonialism’s mobile architecture in both historical and contemporary contexts through the case of Israel-Palestine, from Mandatory Palestine’s British and Zionist camps, through early statehood’s spaces of displacement and emplacement, to current colonial environments. By doing so, the article highlights how settler colonialism’s rapid spatial actions and counteractions require mobile spatial forms and their related infrastructure for the abrupt and often racialised territorial and demographic alterations and for related swift counteracts of resistance, protest and decolonisation.

Review: Architectural Rhetoric and the Iconography of Authority in Colonial Mexico. The Casa de Montejo, by C. Cody Barteet

Review: Architectural Rhetoric and the Iconography of Authority in Colonial Mexico. The Casa de Montejo, by C. Cody Barteet

A Gothic Vision: James Goold, William Wardell and the Building of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, 1850–97

ABSTRACTSt Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne is among the largest Gothic revival churches built in the nineteenth century, matching in size the medieval cathedrals that inspired its design. The history of the commission reveals the role played by the first Roman Catholic bishop of Melbourne, James Alipius Goold, who was acquainted with A. W. N. Pugin’s theories of the Gothic revival and who promoted the construction of churches true to Pugin’s principles. After two failed attempts at smaller structures, and in the wake of the gold rush in Victoria, Goold in 1858 commissioned the newly arrived architect William Wilkinson Wardell to design a cathedral of unprecedented monumental proportions. Wardell’s design, rooted in an archaeologically correct approach to medieval precedent, was widely praised by colonial society, which favoured massive buildings reminiscent of those found in Europe. Furthermore, with its French-inspired apse and radiating chapels, St Patrick’s highlighted a connection to Catholic religious tradition particularly resonant for its largely Irish congregation. The design stands apart from High Victorian developments in the Gothic revival seen in England in the 1850s, as colonial patrons favoured a more conservative approach. St Patrick’s exemplifies several of the trends that influenced the revival of Gothic architecture in the Australian colonies, while also representing the desire of the Catholic Church to establish its position throughout the wider British empire.

3D Immunofluorescent Image Colocalization Quantification in Mouse Epiblast Stem Cells.

This chapter details 3D morphological topography of colony architecture optimization and nuclear protein localization by co-immunofluorescent confocal microscopy analysis. Colocalization assessment of nuclear and cytoplasmic cell regions is detailed to demonstrate nuclear and cytoplasmic localization in mEpiSCs by confocal microscopy and orthogonal colocalization assessment. Protein colocalization within mESCs, mEpiLCs, and mEpiSCs can be efficiently completed using these optimized protocols.

Discourse on Lost Pages of History: Architectural Works of Vasudev Kanitkar in Western India

Ample western historiographical resources are available to understand Colonial Architecture in India. Architectural language evolved during Colonial period in India was a collaborative effort of British Royal and Local engineers from several parts. The eclectic architectural language of British India is a product of the amalgamation of western models and eastern knowledge simultaneously. They worked in collaboration with Indian philanthropists, engineers, contractors and artisans. Much is available to read about royal engineers as pride for the British sovereign but contributions of local engineers who equally built colonial India are lost in the pages of history. This Paper tried to document and discuss works of local contractor Vasudev Kanitkar born in Baroda and worked at several places in Western India. With the help of archival resources and primary secondary surveys conducted this research paper compiles architectural contributions of Vasudev Kanitkar less known for his many landmark edifices he designed and built in western India.

Adaptation Of Dutch Colonial Architecture to Palembang's Humid Tropical Climate

The Dutch Colonial Architecture in the Talang Semut Palembang area notes that there is a lot of diversity in the style and function of the building as well as the historical journey that includes the adaptation process. This adaptation process is observed in the design world today and in the future. Proof of the adaptation process is carried out by calculating physical analysis to find out the extent to which this tropical consideration is carried out. The process of adapting Dutch Colonial architecture to a humid tropical climate is expected to be able to provoke the creativity of architects in designing buildings properly without using artificial air conditioning equipment. The arrangement of interior layout, outer space and mass management as well as the environmental pattern of this Dutch residential area with the completion of the detailed construction planned to anticipate tropical problems have really been carried out properly.

Traces of Solidarity in Liberation Training Sites in Angola

From the mid-1970s until the late 1980s, Angola hosted guerrillas fighting for the liberation of other southern African states, as well as Cuban and Soviet military advisors and civilian professionals. As the study of Cold War era liberation struggles has developed from nation-centred narratives towards both global and local perspectives, the international encounters that took place in the ambit of these struggles have attracted attention from several historians. In particular, the military training camps have come to be seen as an environment that nurtured specific kinds of social and political relationships, although little physical evidence of these camps remains. This article is based on photographs taken at Camalundu and Caculama, two sites in the Angolan Malanje province where the remains of camps are still visible. At Camalundu, Portuguese colonial architecture points to the original function of the site, while slogans painted in English and Spanish, variously referencing South African history and global revolutionary movements, bear witness to the presence of Cubans and South Africans, and provide evidence of how they saw their own role within the international politics of the day. At Caculama the secluded and defensive nature of the site and its installations provides evidence of the South African role in relation to Angolan strategic thinking. The photographs complement the existing memoirs and oral testimony about the politics of exile and about life in the camps, providing diverse evidence about the presence of liberation fighters and their relationships with the wider world. They also enable the preservation of a visual and tangible historical record which, in the absence of preservation measures, is in danger of decay beyond recognition.

Renovation of the Forgotten Ruins and Urban Public Spaces in Sapa Town, Vietnam for Sustainable Development

Sapa is one of the famous French towns for tourism in Vietnam with lots of colonial architecture, buildings and urban public spaces which are known for their great historical, cultural, aesthetic, and landscape significance. After the wars in Vietnam, the remaining architectures and public spaces, which were of significant value in terms of history, culture, aesthetics and landscape during the French colonial period in the town, have been severely degraded or arbitrarily renovated. In order to propose solutions for maintaining and promoting the ruined structures and urban public spaces of the town, this study adapted three different sets of criteria for assessment for the urban public spaces, heritage buildings and new buildings. The surveyed urban public spaces and buildings have been ranked in different classes based on their earned total average points in terms of level of usability and value. Proposed strategies adopted were developed based on lessons learnt from previous studies, which include new construction, integration, reservation and relic maintenance.

Pakistani Police Governance and Accountability: Challenges and Recommendations

The persistence of massive corruption, a lack of accountability, departmental clashes, constitutional crisis, and a deteriorating law and order situation, particularly in the police department, are ample indicators of the country's poor governance. Pakistan has been engulfed by opinionated volatility and turbulence, resulting in the formation of a dark crevice in the country's economic growth and development. Good governance cannot be respected while there is opinionated disarray, a politician's appetite for power, and an unreformed Police Department. The current police system in Pakistan was designed by the British in 1861 to address a more diverse set of social, administrative, and political realities than the country currently portrays. Numerous national and international experts have concluded that colonial architecture is unsuitable for Pakistan. Pakistan requires comprehensive police reforms as a necessary component of the national framework, regardless of which party is in power. The public interest in reclaiming law enforcement's value has never been greater than it is today. There is growing recognition that the assignment requires concentrated effort. There can be no expectation of momentous police reforms without a continuing corporation and partnership edifice among the major players involved. A progressive and unwavering political leadership, a towering altitude of public support, and an enthused and well-led general public that demands higher standards of police performance are all necessary components of change and good governance.

Evolution of cities in Borneo: a kaleidoscope of urban landscapes for planning future resilient cities

PurposeThis study aims to examine the trajectory of the urban growth of Borneo by portraying its resilient settlements in the pre-colonial times, tropical sensitive colonial architecture, the built environment of the post–independence period and finally the contemporary city image. This is followed by a comparative study of its major urban centres and determining how globalisation and neoliberalism impact the traditional urban settlements of this island and poses a threat to its rich biodiversity.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses case study research methodology involving selected cities on the Island of Borneo including Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Miri and Kuching (Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia), Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), and major cities of the state of Kalimantan, Indonesia. Data collection includes a literature review, content analysis, field assessment and observations. The major research objectives would address past and current issues in the selected urban environment of Borneo. They address the historical evolution of major cities of Borneo, current urban development trends, the deterioration of the traditional urban fabric as a result of post–independence development and later globalisation.FindingsThis study found that the rich cultural tradition and climate-responsive architecture from the past have been discontinued to pave way for fast track and often speculative development. The results contribute in the convergence of existing shortcomings of cities from three nations on Borneo Island in guiding future sustainable urban planning agenda for achieving a resilient city status while reinstating the character and the sense of place. The study expects the recommendations to become prerequisites for future urban planning in sensitive tropical regions.Originality/valueThis research identified a new “Borneo approach” to urban development. The study strongly recommends top priorities for the central, state and local governments of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia allowing the planners and decision-makers to establish a new tropical urban planning initiative with the ample design practice for this unique region in Southeast Asia. The results of this study can serve as the guiding principles for other urban environments in fragile and sensitive tropical regions.

A Hospital Typology Translated: Transnational Flows of Architectural Expertise in the Clinique Reine Elisabeth of Coquilhatville, in the Belgian Congo

Architectural historians discussing transnational knowledge exchange have primarily focused on English- or French-speaking or bilateral flows of expertise. This article goes beyond those boundaries to trace the multi-sited design process of a colonial hospital for Europeans built in Coquilhatville, the Belgian Congo. Western hospital typologies underwent multiple typological innovations as they progressed from Brussels to the colonial capital of Léopoldville, and then to the remote town of Coquilhatville. A surprising variety of actors from outside the architectural discipline―administrators, engineers, and especially doctors―impacted its design. To “translate” Western hospital typologies to the tropical climate and colonial racial inequalities, they supplemented metropolitan expertise by drawing on alternative connections provided by the Belgian Congo’s intersectional position within the colonial world. Individual travel experiences, participation in colonial research missions, and direct personal contacts with other colonial administrations all played a role. Uncovering these alternative flows of expertise in the history of Coquilhatville’s Clinique sheds light on how colonial (hospital) architecture cannot simply be reduced to direct bilateral “export.” It was actually the product of a much more complex network of architectural knowledge exchange, so far insufficiently documented by architectural historians, that transcended conventional linguistic and imperial borders.

A Jesuit-Lyonnais Project in Nineteenth-Century Beirut: Multiplicities of the Local and Global at the Université Saint-Joseph

This paper examines the establishment of the Jesuit Université Saint-Joseph from 1875 in Beirut and explores the Jesuits’ dual allegiance to France and Rome. Countering the prevailing notion that the University was a French project in this period, I contend that the Jesuit Mission was much more reliant on its supranational Jesuit network than on French imperial support. Questioning precisely how the Jesuits were able to construct such an imposing urban complex in a city under Ottoman rule, I show that “empire” and “nation” were not bounded notions in the nineteenth century. Rather, the Jesuit project was simultaneously inscribed within multiple localities and spheres of influence that allowed the Jesuits to navigate various oppositions and to ensure the survival of their project in the city. By operating at the fringes of what constituted “foreign” or “colonial” power, they were able to consolidate their urban position; their constructions became the basis for their later integration with French colonial interests. Thus, the case study of the Université Saint-Joseph opens up the possibility of understanding colonial architecture not as an extension of colonial power but as a precondition for it.

Gliding motility of a uranium-tolerant Bacteroidetes bacterium Chryseobacterium sp. strain PMSZPI: insights into the architecture of spreading colonies.

Uranium-tolerant soil bacterium Chryseobacterium sp. strain PMSZPI moved over solid agar surfaces by gliding motility thereby forming spreading colonies which is a hallmark of members of Bacteroidetes phylum. PMSZPI genome harboured orthologs of all the gld and spr genes considered as core bacteroidetes gliding motility genes of which gldK, gldL, gldM and gldN were co-transcribed. Here, we present the intriguing interplay between gliding motility and cellular organization in PMSZPI spreading colonies. While nutrient deficiency enhanced colony spreading, high agar concentrations and presence of motility inhibitor like 5-hydroxyindole reduced the spreading. A detailed in situ structural analysis of spreading colonies revealed closely packed cells forming multiple layers at centre of colony while the edges showed clusters of cells periodically arranged in hexagonal lattices interconnected with each other. The cell migration within colony was visualized as branched structures wherein the cells were buried within extracellular matrix. PMSZPI colonies exhibited strong iridescence possibly as a result of periodicity within the cell population achieved through gliding motility. Presence of uranium reduced motility and iridescence and induced biofilm formation. The coordinated study of gliding motility and iridescence apparently influenced by uranium provides unique insights into the lifestyle of PMSZPI residing in uranium enriched environment.

Neo‐colonial philanthropy in the UK

AbstractUK philanthropic foundations are being subjected to greater scrutiny in how they address racial inequality with their funding distribution, yet the deeper critical question of whether these foundations perpetuate racial inequality in their very ethos, practices and existence remains unanswered. These foundations provide over £6.5billion of grants annually to the charitable sector, hold substantial power and influence over social movements and justify their charitable status by stating that they are addressing issues such as poverty and inequality. Yet many private foundations were built on a Victorian paternalistic model of gracious benefactor and grateful beneficiary and against the historical context of empire‐building, slavery and colonialism which embedded ideas about ‘race’ within philanthropy. Furthermore, delineation between the deserving and undeserving poor connected with these formulations of race, to position subjects of colonies inequitably within this charitable paradigm and reinforce stereotypes. At the time, this formed the justification for the expansion of missionary or colonial philanthropy overseas which was the biggest philanthropic cause of the pre first world war era and which can be traced back as the basis for the ‘white saviour complex’ exhibited today within UK foundations, as they continue to operate a colonial social architecture. This inherent and unchallenged colonial social architecture used for grantmaking and funding distribution imbues processes and practices with the same ethos and principles exhibited by colonialism, resulting in a ‘neo‐colonial philanthropy’, the tenets of which are identified and explored. In addition, as racial inequality remains one of the most critical issues of our time, it is asserted that foundations will need to understand the historical context of the UK’s colonialist history in order to recognise the link with racial disparities exhibited in communities today. This direct connection together with their own inbuilt colonial architecture necessitates an urgent conversation for Foundations about whether reparative or restorative justice is a more effective operational paradigm and the long term solution needed to address neo‐colonial philanthropy or the ‘Empires new clothes’.

Unsettling Ground: Arctic Urbanism on Fluid Geology

Ground is the transition across the surface and subsurface of the land, mediating environmental change and the stability of geological time. In the Canadian Arctic, dramatic seasonal cycles and warming trends are reshaping increasingly unstable ground. Inuit in communities such as Arviat, in southern Nunavut, have always dealt with geological instability using their traditional knowledge of climate and territory. However, the North has been aggressively shaped by systematic spatial interventions of resource-based economies, militarization, and administration. Federal building programs across the Territory have imposed visions of efficiency and modernity, transforming the land inhabited by Inuit into a settled ground. To “unsettle ground” is understood here as strategies to address gaps between the imposed stability and singularity of modernist, Northern master planning and housing and the richness and fluidity of the Indigenous landscape. Two trips to Arviat and extensive meetings with community members and housing advocates revealed numerous instabilities, including geological changes, adaptation of the Community Plan, and uncertain economics of public housing. Housing has failed to engage the land on a perfunctory technical level, in its ability to create a communal “social ground”, and on a larger scale the ongoing failure of community planning disregards community relationships to landscape. Conversations on the ground revealed community-centered building practices reclaiming spaces imposed by the strictures of modern colonial architecture and planning. Our research thus examines the multiple identities of ground and posits the possibility for new, respectful ways for architecture to inhabit the land in Nunavut while unsettling ground.

FAZENDA CAPÃO DO BISPO: O ESQUECIMENTO DO PATRIMÔNIO HISTÓRICO NO AGLOMERADO URBANO.

Located on the banks of the main avenue that crosses the neighborhood of Del Castilho and its surroundings, in the northern part of the city of Rio de Janeiro, is one of the last examples of the rural colonial architecture of the State: Fazenda Capão do Bispo. This study seeks to present the history of the farm and discuss the change in its importance in the region and its trajectory in the immediate urban context, especially with regard to the importance of the USA as a good to be preserved. Originally based on a coffee-producing farm, not in the beginning of the 17th century, a property went through a fragmentation process due to sesmarias concessions and the growth of the central region of the city that induced a population to migrate towards the rural region. Listed by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute in 1947. After years of tutelage by the IAB in 2011, there was a resumption of possession by the government, which has not yet promoted preservation actions. In contrast, the region continues to grow and the farm loses visibility in its surroundings. Then, as a result of this work, we seek, through the analysis of the Capão do Bispo Farm, demonstrating the importance of establishing preservation zones around listed assets, associated with the need for preservation of the city's memory by public administrators.

Review: Race and Modern Architecture: A Critical History from the Enlightenment to the Present

Review: <i>Race and Modern Architecture: A Critical History from the Enlightenment to the Present</i>

PERANCANGAN KAWASAN CAGAR BUDAYA TAMBANG ORANJE NASSAU

Orange Nassau is a Dutch heritage coal mine site that has been established since 28 September 1849. Which is the starting place where the Banjar war started. This site is also known as the oldest coal mine site in Kalimantan Selatan and even Indonesia. Unfortunately, the existing site condition is not maintained well and less known for what it actually is. Therefore, this site needs “Design of Orange Nassau Cultural Heritage Area” as an architecture solution, to protect its heritage, embracing its historical background and developing its potential. The method that was used for the design is Conservation Revitalization method: Adaptive Re-use, this method aims to conserve the Orange Nassau heritage with new function adjustment. In specific, giving this area an educative and recreation facilities with enchanting architectural ways. Sense of place is also used as the concept. Which has meaning as making a place where emotional bonding between place and human can rhyme together. In conclusion, this design is about conserving the heritage site and maintaining the authenticity of colonial architecture with the concept that is applied.