Late colonial period merchant houses at Birulia: a study on architectural features

Abstract

Bangladesh is rich in its unique culture and heritage, latent in its architecture and settlements. Facing challenges and struggles to be a global capital, the 400-year-old city - Dhaka seeks its historical identity amongst a diverse range of political reigns and socio-cultural influences. Birulia, being a century-old settlement at the brink of Dhaka is historically important as a witness to the uprising of the middle-class elite (Merchants) of the late 18th Century. Biruila was a vivacious business center, important river port as well as a sacred place for Hindu religion during the regime of Vawal king. At the end of the nineteenth century, local elite Hindu merchants started building houses and temples along a brick-paved road. The form and spatial arrangements of these remaining buildings bear distinct architectural styles of British Colonial Period with a fusion of Mughal Architecture adapted for the local climate and traditional house forms. Due to the lack of proper documentation, conservation plans, and maintenance, unplanned modification, natural weathering and encroachment by the local people; the majority of the heritage buildings are now losing distinct architectural features. The tangible heritage of this settlement is almost unrecorded and needs to be revived as evidence of urbanization and prosperity of this region by taking strategic conservation policy. Before any conservation endeavor, all elements and architectural features need to be documented properly. The paper will discuss mainly the architectural features (spatial form, zoning) and elements used at the façade of the remaining significant buildings. Based on the documentation, this paper will analyze to find the links between the traditional zamindar house forms and the Birulia buildings at the late colonial era.