Decoding the Writers’ Building: The Colonial Architecture of Calcutta

Colonial architecture played a significant role in the establishment of British Calcutta, leaving a lasting impact on the city’s urban landscape and cultural heritage. The architectural style introduced by the British during their colonial rule not only serves a purpose, but the amalgamation of local and foreign influence defines the city’s millennia-old culture in a new way. Additionally, there was a significant influence of Indo-Saracenic architecture, which mainly amalgamated the elements of Indian and Islamic styles with European forms. For instance, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Kalighat temple are two critical religious sites, but both exhibit colonial influences in very different manners. The Cathedral is a classic example of the Gothic revival, whilst the Kalighat temple demonstrates the Bengal Renaissance style.

The Divisions of Colonial Calcutta

The Esplanade, Chowringhee, and Maidan emerged as key areas where colonial architecture flourished. The layout of these areas was influenced by British boulevards, public squares and organized residential areas. The earliest colonial buildings in Calcutta were built in the Georgian style. These can be characterized by symmetrical facades, grand colonnades, and ornate decorations. Later, the Victorian style gained popularity, prioritising ornamentation and diverse influences. By the mid-19th century, Calcutta had been divided into two distinct areas – the White Town and the Black Town. The segregation was done mainly on the complexions of the inhabitants. The Black Town (Sutanuti) consisted of closely packed houses devoid of urban planning in stark contrast to the Central Calcutta White Town.

The City of Palaces

The White town consisted of rich mansions and colonial-planned settlements with wide roads and open spaces, meant for the residence of the British elites. These buildings commonly demonstrated a variety of Western architectural influences, including the Gothic Revival, Art Deco and Italianate. These buildings were normally spacious and airy, made to suit the tropical, warm and humid climate of Bengal, incorporating features like verandas, large windows and high ceilings. Even though the weather plays a role in this style, the Gothic characteristics of these elements cannot be ignored.

During the British Raj, Kolkata was once deemed the ‘City of Palaces’ by Lord Valentia due to the large number of mansions and palaces built during the era. To understand the height of colonial influences in Bengal architecture, we must look towards the massive colonial wonder, The Writers’ Building, which played a huge role in shaping the city.

The Writers’ Building

Nestled in the heart of Kolkata, the Writer’s Building stands as a testament to Bengal’s colonial past and its enduring architectural heritage. Originally conceived as the administrative headquarters for the East India Company’s writers, this iconic structure has witnessed centuries of political and social upheaval, bearing witness to the ebb and flow of history. Being one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in India, the Writers’ Building embodies the fusion of European and indigenous influences, reflecting the complex interplay of power, culture, and identity during the colonial era. Let us delve into the architectural marvel of the Writer’s Building, exploring its historical significance, design elements, and enduring legacy within Bengal’s rich architectural tapestry.

History

The iconic Writers’ Building has played a significant role in the history of Calcutta. The building is marked as the centre of the ‘White Town’. Its architecture displays several influences including the neoclassical, Indo-Saracenic, British colonial and Renaissance styles. The Writers’ Building was constructed by Thomas Lyon in 1777. It was originally a utilitarian structure designed to house the junior clerks, or ‘writers’, working for the British East India Company. At the beginning of the 19th century, the architecture was transformed into the Fort William College. This institution opened to train writers in Oriental languages, thus gaining its name. It was also constructed as a trading house for the British East India Company, and the state of this heritage icon was much like a shabby warehouse. Throughout the decades, the building has undergone many expansions and changes.

The building has been called a mini-township due to its current built-up area of around 550,000 square feet. This building is so huge that its 150-metre-long structure covers the entire Northern stretch of the Lal Dighi Pond. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Ionic façade was created with several colossal columns, each 32 feet high, built to support a 128-foot-long portico. The distinct Greco-Roman classical architectural style of the façade in red and white makes quite a statement. The Italian Grecian Frontage, though an iconic representation of Renaissance and colonial architecture in Calcutta, gains an even higher title through this intricate masterpiece.

Architectural Grandeur

The central pediment stands above six proud Ionic columns. The whole building is beautifully embellished using classical elements like pediments, arches, cornices, columns and pilasters. The Writers’ Building was the first three-story building in Calcutta. The central façade pays homage to the iconic entrance of the Roman Pantheon. The interior features like the high ceilings, large windows, ornate decorations, grand halls and corridors are classic Gothic elements. The central façade carries a portico, while several statues can be seen lining the terraces. The sculptures were built by William Fredric Woodlington in 1883 and showcase figurines of Greek Gods such as Zeus, Hermes, Athena, and Demeter, each flanked by European and Indian figures representing disciplines like justice, commerce, science, and agriculture. The central pediment is topped with a sculpture of the Roman deity of wisdom and justice, Minerva. The white marble sculptures truly make a splendour contrast with the red-bricked architecture. The architects did an amazing job of using shadows as a decorative element. The shadows of the eaves play an interesting role in beautifying the architecture.

Renaissance Architecture Influence

Towards the left of the central façade, we see a rotunda. The plan of the building is octagonal. The second-floor windows of the rotunda have oculi above them. The structure is crowned with a Brunelleschian dome. The dome is not exactly a true dome, it is pointed and octagonal instead. Though the dome does not have an oculus, it is adorned by pseudo-pedimented arches on four sides. The 2:1 ratio is very pertinent in the first two stories of the architecture, namely in the arched windows and exterior pilasters. True arches adorn the building throughout. The copula is replaced with a balustrade, almost resembling the top of a lighthouse. The base of the dome is guarded by a set of balustrades. This particular feature reminds me of Donato Bramante’s Tempietto. The dome of the Tempietto is surrounded by balustrades, which, as a result, form a portico. The same can be seen for the Writers’ Building rotunda.

The Reflection

The Writers’ Building features a grand façade with symmetrical wings and central projections, defining itself with balance and composition. We can thus proudly claim that it is the epitome of classic European architecture in all of India. This particular heritage icon has persisted through centuries of events and has looked upon our city as it evolved into the glorious Kolkata that we see today.

Though the colonial architecture of Calcutta is a reflection of oppression and discrimination, it also acts as a mirror to the city’s rich cultural heritage. During the British Raj, Kolkata was popularly known as the ‘City of Palaces’ due to the many mansions and palaces built during the era. The colonial architecture of Calcutta, though bittersweet, stands tall as a testimony to the city’s glorious past. So much of our future lies in preserving the past, and we all should actively work towards it.

References:

Chattopadhyay, Swati (2016). Stepwell – Claiming the Riverfront: Building Prinsep Ghat in Colonial Calcutta. Tekton, Volume 3 (2), pp. 22-35. Available at: https://tekton.mes.ac.in/issues/volume-3-issue-2/papers-essays/claiming-the-riverfront-building-the-prinsep-ghat-in-colonial-calcutta/ [Accessed: 30 April 2025]

Bose, Shivashish (2016). State and management of architectural heritage in Kolkata. Journal of Architectural Conservation, Volume 21 (3), pp. 1-17. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301704845_State_and_management_of_architectural_heritage_in_Kolkata 

Mesaria S. & Jaiswal N. (2014). A Study on the Colonial Monuments of British Era of Kolkata, India. Research Journal of Recent Sciences Vol. 3, pp. 99-107. Available at: https://www.isca.me/rjrs/archive/v3/iIVC-2014/18.ISCA-IVC-2014-10FCCS-06.pdf 

Chowdhury, Souvik (2019). The Dilemma of Identity: Representing Contemporary Kolkata. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336587481_The_Dilemma_of_Identity_Representing_Contemporary_Kolkata 

Roy, Utpal & Pramanick, Subham & Adhikari, Anusua. (2022). The Chequered Journeys of the Traditional Houses of North Kolkata, the Older City. The Colonial City in Transition. India. Taylor and Francis. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365746930_The_Chequered_Journeys_of_the_Traditional_Houses_of_North_Kolkata_the_Older_City 

Chatterjee, M. (1990). Town Planning in Calcutta: Past, Present and Future. Calcutta: The Living (Vol. II). India. Oxford University Press. 

Chaudhuri, A. (2015, July 2). Calcutta’s Architecture is Unique. Its Destruction is a Disaster for the City. The Guardian. Available at: www.theguardian.com/: www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jul/02/calcutta-architectureheritage-destruction-city-campaign-amit-chaudhuri 

Ganguly, S. (2016). Kolkata Heritage: Of 19th Century Bengali Mansions and European Architecture. India Today. Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/culture/story/kolkata-heritage-chitpur-road-19th-century-bengali-mansions-influenced-by-european-architecture-exhibition-308016-2016-02-10 

Killa, B. K. (2019). North Kolkata v/s South Kolkata- Our City or Their City? Available at: www.whatsuplife.in/: www.whatsuplife.in/kolkata/blog/north-kolkata-south-kolkata 

Marshall, P. (2000). The White Town of Calcutta Under the Rule of the East India Company. Modern Asian Studies, Volume 34 (2), pp. 307–331. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/313065 

Mukherji, S. C. (1991). The Changing Face of Calcutta: An Architectural Approach. Available at: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Changing_Face_of_Calcutta.html?id=BhItHAAACAAJ 

Mitra Tapas, Mitra Sheuli, Chattopadhyay Monideep & Bardhan Suchandra (2012). Imageability Continuum and Discreteness: Older Residential Neighborhood Areas of Kolkata. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355008041_Imageability_Continuum_and_Discreteness_Older_Residential_Neighborhood_Areas_of_Kolkata 

Sarkar, Aniruddha (2019). Ebong Kolikata. Kolkata. Niyon Publications.

Image Sources:

1. Writers’ Building https://in.pinterest.com/pin/661888476461023660/
2. Plan of Calcutta, depicting the White town and Black town, by Lieut. Colonel Mark Wood in the Years 1784-1785 (Baillie, 1792) https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Plan-of-Calcutta-depicting-the-White-town-and-Black-town-by-Lieut-Colonel-Mark-Wood-in_fig1_336587481
3. The Black Town by Balthazar Solvyns https://www.architecturaldigest.in/story/etchings-by-baltazard-solvyns-beautiful-showcase-of-bengal-1790s/
4. View of the White Town and the Writers’ Building  https://bn.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0:Kolkata_Esplanade.jpg
5. ‘View of Writers Building, Calcutta’ _© Johnston and Hoffmann (1910) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Writers_Building.jpg/500px-Writers_Building.jpg

6. Postcard of Writers’ Building, Calcutta (1908)  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Writers-building-3_0.jpg
7. A Photograph of the Writers’ Building (1865) from the Victoria and Albert Museum https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O214937/calcutta–writers-buildings-photograph-francis-frith/
8. Writers’ Building (2015) by Jan Bockaert https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:India_DSC00962_(16721678552).jpg
9. A Lithograph of the Writers Building by Dinodia Photos https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/10/writers-building-kolkata-history-cities-50-buildings
10. A Recent Sketch of the Writers’ Building by Sumanta Choudhury https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/right-route-to-restore-writers-wanted-expert-hand-and-hands-off-govt/cid/1287828