Old Port Louis: Part II

The British City

When the British took over the island, just like the French, they consumed with the infrastructural development of the Port. Their rules in the country lead to rapid social and economic changes. By the 1850’s and 1860’s, Port Louis turn out to be one of the most important economic centres and cosmopolitan town in the great Indian Ocean. The city was getting popular and the British deemed necessary to modernise the city.

During the first few decades of the British colony, Port Louis as a port, was blasted with an increase in trade and commercial activities. To match with the demand of the city and its activities, several streets started to take form with the construction of warehouses and retail buildings around the main port.

The idealistic image of the produced architecture was very much of the Georgian style. The buildings were symmetrical with centered façade entries and the windows aligned both horizontally and vertically. The foundations were raised; the façades were decorated by molded cornices while the shingle roof was of hip nature with the presence of dormers in some cases. The paneled front doors with decorative crown, pilasters and the presence of transom above; the windows were double hung slash with small lights which comprised of grids of 9×9 or 12×12 panes separated by thick wooden mullions. The windows were archetypally integrated as a stylistic embellishment with usual appearances of decorative pediments on top. Most of the buildings were one or two storey high, about two rooms deep and consisted of three five or seven bays with the entrance on the central one which was a very noticeable characteristic of the Georgian architecture style. Mauritius being of volcanic nature has an abundant source of basalt which was very much used and adopted in the Georgian style buildings. Presently, several of those buildings are intact and well-maintained on the streets of the city, while others have been altered over the course of time. Dramatically, a few are now dilapidated and are in ruins.

Furthermore, apart from the shops and warehouses that were only a mere response to the economically thriving city, there were several distinct constructions that were built to answer the needs and function of the city. These are further detailed in the underneath paragraphs.