Past Pieces
Bangalore's Architectural Legacy
An architectural overview of Bangalore reveals a variety of design influences from around the globe. Not only do these structures remind you of a particular culture but they also sure to transport you back in time. Elizabethan palaces, Victorian gardens, Mogul masjids, Dravidian temples and European churches, and sometimes an unabashed blend of all these styles can be seen in one artifact. Consider for example the land mark of Bangalore: Vidhana Soudha. This imposing monument was built in 1957 according to the styles dictated by K. Hanumanthiah. This unique structure is truly a secular edifice. It reveals characteristic features of British, Dravidian, and Indo-Islamic architecture. Its Gol Gumbaz like dome supported on long columns, the sun symbol at the center on the top level, its Indo-Saracenic inner quadrangle, altogether make this one of the most arresting monument in Bangalore.
If Vidhana Soudha strikes you with its immense size, consider the Attara Kacheri building right across Vidhana Soudha.
This is truly a romance in red brick. Built in 1875, it was used to house government offices. Although not so majestic as its imposing neighboring monument, this Pompeii red artifact will steal your heart with its Tuscan and Corinthian columns. While the official buildings are sometimes restricted in terms of architectural escapades, palaces provide a more personal glimpse of individual tastes and personality. The Bangalore palace is one such artifact which shows a remarkable influence of Elizabethan England, Its Gothic windows, trefoil ventilators, battlements,, turrets, and the green gardens, make it a charming English edifice. Palaces and official monuments reveal period influences but the numerous clubs of the British Raj describe their life styles. The Bangalore Club and The Residency or the Raj Bhavan are typical of Colonial architecture. The carriage stands, is where the Sahibs and the memsahibs got down from after their long drive. Further down and you will see the many wings and rooms built to specific needs of the owner. usually in Tudor style. But perhaps the one characteristic feature that stands out is the Italian flooring designed for Ball room dance, an English must. No doubt David Lean chose Bangalore Palace for a setting in his Passage to India.
In addition to clubs and palaces, the Colonial influence can also be seen in the numerous churches left behind which, in time have become a part of the spiritual and architectural heritage of Bangalore. Of the many beautiful churches in Bangalore, perhaps the most remarkable churches are the St. Mary's Basilica, the Trinity, and St. Marks church. These churches are either influenced by the French, the Gothic, or the British. The Trinity Church is the earliest British Cantonment church, its huge tower and spire can still be seen from a long distance marking the end of Mahatma Gandhi road. These are but a few architectural glimpses in Bagalore, but to do real justice to the design legacy of the city, you got to be there in person..
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