Boulevard Town Analysis

Pondicherry has an interesting cross-cultural history and its built form lends a distinctive identity to the town. The old part of Pondicherry is known as the Boulevard Town since it is bounded by four boulevards that once constituted the outer limits of the city’s fortification. The Boulevard Town presents two distinct architectural styles in the Tamil and French quarters, which are separated by a canal and unified by a grid iron plan. The Government Square is the only major green space in Pondicherry within the boulevards, surrounded by public buildings. The contrasting French and Tamil styles, and in many cases a harmonious blend of the two, called the ‘Franco-Tamil’ style, are a special feature of the town. In the French Town the buildings are in European style adapted to a tropical climate, whereas in the Tamil Town area they are in the local vernacular. French streets
The row houses along these streets stood back-to-back. These streetscapes with continuous wall-to-wall construction vary much in character with that of the French. The entrance to the Tamil houses is from the street, marked by a finely carved wooden door, behind the traditional verandah called ‘tinnai’, supported by timber columns. Inside, the major feature is the central courtyard, the ‘muttram’, with the main opening (koodam) on one side. Other rooms are small and mostly used by the women or for storage purposes. Utilities, courtyard and the garden are in the back. In the houses of the affluent, the ceilings are frequently higher than usual – probably under French influences and several decorative models have been incorporated such as classical coloumns, balustrades etc. In several cases, the local features are more evident in the ground floor, with greater use of wood carving, whereas French influence is stronger on the upper