The essentials
During British rule, new kinds of buildings appeared: government offices, courts, railway stations, churches, universities, museums and bungalows. Several styles were used.
Neoclassical buildings copied ancient Greek and Roman forms with columns, triangular pediments and symmetry; the Town Hall in Mumbai is an example. Neo-Gothic (Gothic revival) buildings have pointed arches, high-pitched roofs, spires and stained glass; the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai, designed by F. W. Stevens and completed in 1888, is a famous example blending Gothic with Indian features. The Indo-Saracenic style combined Indian and Indo-Islamic elements — domes, chhatris, jalis, arches — with European planning; examples include the Gateway of India in Mumbai (designed by George Wittet) and the Madras High Court.
When the capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi (announced in 1911), a new city, New Delhi, was planned by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. Lutyens designed the Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan), and Baker the Secretariat buildings; they mixed classical design with Indian features such as chhatris, jalis and a dome inspired by the Sanchi stupa. The Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, designed by William Emerson, is built in white marble.
The bungalow, a single-storey house with a verandah, takes its name from "bangla", a Bengali hut type.
Key points
- Neoclassical: columns, pediments.
- Neo-Gothic: pointed arches, spires — CST Mumbai.
- Indo-Saracenic: Indian + Islamic + European — Gateway of India.
- New Delhi: Lutyens and Baker.
Exam tips
- Learn to identify a style from features listed in a question.
Common mistakes
- Calling all colonial buildings "Indo-Saracenic"; many are neoclassical or Gothic.