Architecture of Bangladesh

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Bangladeshi architecture
)

Sixty Dome Mosque

Architecture of Bangladesh is intertwined with the

Bangladeshi people
. Bangladesh has many architectural relics and monuments dating back thousands of years.

Pala Buddhist architecture

Structures in Somapura Mahavihara complex

The

Dharmapala, at Paharpur, Bangladesh, is the largest Buddhist Vihara in the Indian subcontinent and has been described as a "pleasure to the eyes of the world." UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site in 1985. The Pala architectural style was followed throughout south-eastern Asia and China, Japan, and Tibet. Bengal rightfully earned the name "Mistress of the East".[citation needed] Dr. Stella Kramrisch says: "The art of Bihar and Bengal exercised a lasting influence on that of Nepal, Burma, Ceylon and Java." Dhiman and Vittpala were two celebrated Pala sculptors. About Somapura Mahavihara, Mr J.C. French says with grief: "For the research of the Pyramids of Egypt we spend millions of dollars every year. But had we spent only one per cent of that money for the excavation of Somapura Mahavihara, who knows what extraordinary discoveries could have been made".[4]

Indo-Islamic Architecture

The Sultanate of Bengal was an era of the Central Asian origin Muslim Nawab dynasty that ruled independently of the

Shona Masjid and the Kusumba Masjid.[5]

Mughal Architecture

In 1576, much of Bengal came under the control of the

Shah Shuja, the second son of the emperor Shah Jahan
.

Indian Mughal architecture in present-day Bangladesh reached its peak during the reign of Subedar

Choto Katra
. He also supervised the construction of the mausoleum for his daughter Bibi Pari in the fort area.

Terracotta temple architecture

Much of the terracotta temple architecture in Bangladesh dates to the late Islamic period and early British period during which wealthy Hindu zamindars commissioned these structures.

  • Root top architecture styles:
    • ek-bangla
      , have a curved roof with two sloping sides
    • Jor-bangla
      , has a roof of the ek-Bangla (or do-Chala) style, with two curved segments that meet at a curved ridge
    • ek-chala
      , single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof
    • Do-chala
      , have a curved roof with two sloping sides
    • Char-chala
      , have a curved roof composed of four triangular segments
    • At-chala
      , the base structure is similar to the four-sided char-Chala temple style, but with a small replica of the base temple on top
    • Deul
      , were generally smaller and included features influenced by Islamic architecture
    • Ek-ratna
      , the base structure is similar to the four-sided char-Chala temple style, but the roof is quite different, flat with a tower in the centre.
    • Pancharatna
      , has five pavilions or towers on the roof; four stands at the corners of the main level, and one above.
    • Navaratna
      , incorporates two main levels, each with four spired corner pavilions, and a central pavilion above, for a total of nine spires.
Choto Shona Mosque
having the "ek-chala" roof

British Colonial period

Common Bungalow Style Architecture

Village in a clearing Sundarbans, by Frederic Peter Layard, January 1839

The origin of the bungalow has its roots in Bangladesh (the historical Province of Bengal).[6] The term baṅgalo, meaning "Bengali" and used elliptically for a "house in the Bengal style".[7] Such houses were traditionally front house/outhouse/Banglaghar/Kacharighar of homesteads which were small, only one storey and detached, and had a wide veranda were adopted by the British who assumed it to be a legitimate Bengali house, who expanded and used them as houses for colonial administrators in summer retreats in the Himalayas and in compounds outside Indian cities. The term "bungalow" is derived from "Bangla ghar".[8] The Bungalow style houses are still very popular in the rural Bengal. In the rural areas of Bangladesh, it is often called Bangla Ghar (Bengali Style House). The main construction material used in modern time is corrugated steel sheets. Previously they had been constructed from wood, bamboo and a kind of straw called Khar. Khar was used in the roof of the Bungalow house and kept the house cold during hot summer days. Another roofing material for Bungalow houses has been red clay tiles.

Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture

In the British colonial age predominantly representative buildings of the Indo-European style developed, from a mixture of mainly Indian, European and Central Asian (Islamic) components. Amongst the more prominent works are

Rangpur City
.

Modern Bangladeshi Architecture

In the modern context, Bangladeshi architecture has become more diversified comprising reflections of contemporary architectural attributes, aesthetic and technologically advanced aspects. Since the inception of Bangladesh, economical advancement has boosted the architecture from its traditional forms to contemporary context. With the growing urbanization and modernization, the architectural form is turning into modernity covering a wide range of its heritage and tradition.[2] The architecture of Bangladesh can provide insight into the history and lives of the Bangladeshi people.[9]

John Hancock Centre, Hajj Terminal, etc. Fazlur Rahman's innovations not only make the buildings structurally stronger and more efficient, they significantly reduce the usage of materials (economically much more efficient) while simultaneously allow buildings to reach even greater heights. Tubular systems allow greater interior space and further enable buildings to take on various shapes, offering unprecedented freedom to architects.[17][18] He also invented the sky lobby for high rises and helped in initiating the widespread usage of computers for structural engineering. Fazlur Rahman is the foremost structural engineer-architect of the 20th century who left an unprecedented and lasting influence on the profession, both nationally and internationally.[13] Fazlur Rahman, more than any other individual, ushered in a renaissance in skyscraper construction during the second half of the 20th century[19] and made it possible for people to live and work in "cities in the sky".[20] Khan created a legacy of innovations by blending the articulation of interior spaces with the evolved structural systems that are unparalleled and became an icon in both architecture and structural engineering.[21][22]

Moreover, US architect

Gallery

See also

Further reading

  • Zahiruddin, S. A., Mowla, Q. A., Helaluzzaman, A.K.M. 1985, Role of Government in Architecture, in Robert Powell (Ed.) Regionalism in Architecture – Exploring Architecture in Islamic Cultures, Singapore: Concept Media Pvt. Ltd., 1985. 156–161.
  • Mowla, Q A. 2017, Conservation Tools of Contemporary Architecture and Settlements in Bangladesh, Massimo Visone and Ugo Carughi (Eds), 'Time Frames: Conservation Policies for Twentieth-Century Architectural Heritage' published for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ICCROM, University of Naples Federico II, by Routledge in 2017.
  • Qazi Azizul Mowla and Q. A. Zahra, "Historic Settlement of Panamnagar: A Case for Conservation", Bagha, Bagha & Chaudhary (Eds), 'Contemporary Architecture Beyond Corbusierism' MACMILLAN Advanced Research Series Publication, New Delhi, 2011.pp. 236–246.
  • Mowla, Q.A. 2011:'Urban Aesthetics: A Study on Dhaka' in 'The History Heritage and Urban Issues of Capital Dhaka', Vol.III, published by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, to celebrate the 400 years of Capital Dhaka. pp. 167–186.
  • Mowla, Q.A. 2012: Dhaka: A Mega-City of Persistence and Change, (Chapter 12) in Misra, R.P. (Ed): Urbanization in South Asia – Focus on Mega Cities, Cambridge University Press, New Delhi. pp 341–372.
  • Mowla, Q A and Reza, ATM, 2000 Stylistic Evolution of Architecture in Bangladesh: From a Colony to a Free Country, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh Journal, Dhaka, 45(1), 2000, 31–58.
  • ISSN 1560-7593
    )

References

  1. ^ "Visual art and architecture in Bangladesh". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Architecture". Banglapedia. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  3. ^ Reza, Mohammad Habib (2012). Early Buddhist architecture of Bengal : morphological study on the vihāra of c. 3rd to 8th centuries (PhD). University of Liverpool.
  4. ^ The Art of the Pala Empire of Bengal, p.4.
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "bungalow". proz.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  7. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, "bungalow"; Online Etymology Dictionary Archived 6 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "bungalow. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000". bartleby.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008.
  9. ^ "Appealing Architecture – From Ancient Treasures to Contemporary Landmarks". Bangladesh.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  10. ^ File:Skyscraper structure.png
  11. ^ Hong Kong : PHigh-Rise Structural Systems Archived 17 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Darkwing.uoregon.edu. Retrieved on 26 June 2012.
  12. ^ "Lehigh University". lehigh.edu. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  13. ^ a b Richard G. Weingardt, P.E. Structural Engineering Magazine, Tradeshow: Fazlur Rahman Khan Archived 30 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Structuremag. February, 2011. Retrieved on 26 June 2012.
  14. ^ Zweig, Christina M. (30 March 2011) Structural Engineer Archived 24 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Gostructural.com. Retrieved on 26 June 2012.
  15. . Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  16. ^ Top 10 world's tallest steel buildings Archived 28 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Constructionweekonline.com. Retrieved on 26 June 2012.
  17. ^ On the rise Archived 30 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Constructionweekonline.com (31 January 2011). Retrieved on 26 June 2012.
  18. ^ Bayley, Stephen. (5 January 2010) Burj Dubai: The new pinnacle of vanity Archived 11 January 2022 at Ghost Archive. Telegraph. Retrieved on 26 June 2012.
  19. . Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  20. ^ Designing 'cities in the sky' Archived 4 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Lehigh University, Engineering & Applied Science. Retrieved on 26 June 2012.
  21. . Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  22. ^ IALCCE 2012: Keynote Speakers Details Archived 26 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Ialcce2012.boku.ac.at. Retrieved on 26 June 2012.
  23. ^ "The Bangladeshi National Assembly is considered Louis Kahn's greatest work". 26 March 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.

External links