French colonial architecture includes severalstyles ofarchitecture used by the French duringcolonization. French colonial architecture has a long history, beginning inNorth America in 1604 and being most active in the Western Hemisphere (Caribbean,Guiana,Canada,Louisiana) until the 19th century, when the French turned their attention more to Africa, Asia, and Oceania.[1]
Many formerFrench colonies,especially those inSoutheast Asia, have previously been reluctant to promote theircolonial architecture as an asset fortourism; however, in recent times,[when?] the new generation[which?] of local authorities has somewhat "embraced" the architecture and has begun to advertise it.[2]
In the formerFrench Equatorial Africa,Brazzaville, the capital ofCongo, andDouala, the largest city ofCameroon have many French colonial buildings.
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19th and early 20th-century French colonial architecture is typical of the European districts in formerFrench North African countries including mostAlgerian andTunisian cities, as well asCasablanca,Morocco. In the mid-20th-century,Algiers became an important center forModernist architecture.
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French colonial architecture is found in many large and mid-sized formerFrench West African cities, with a particularly significant concentration in the former capital city,Saint-Louis, Senegal.
French colonisation of three countries in mainland Southeast Asia—Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, known asIndochina in the 19th and 20th centuries, left a lasting architectural legacy. Most French colonial buildings, now mostly transformed for public use, are located in large urban areas, namelyHanoi andHo Chi Minh City (Vietnam), andPhnom Penh (Cambodia).
There are also some colonial buildings were built in China due to French concessions and other interests in the country during 19th and 20th centuries.
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Various colonial buildings and constructions have become popular tourist destinations. Major landmarks that have become icons of cities including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City include:
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![Ho Chi Minh City, Saint Francis Xavier's Church [fr; vi]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aNh%25C3%25A0_th%25E1%25BB%259D_Cha_Tam.jpg)
French settlements in Canada date back to the mid-16th century until the French defeat inSeven Years' War where New France was annexed by the British Crown in 1763 as a result of theTreaty of Paris. The settlements in the regions were extensive, hence the abundant architectural legacy from that period shows itself particularlyinQuebec City but also in the city ofMontreal, which has a significantCanadien population. Most buildings constructed during the French colonial period utilized a heavy timber frame of logs installed vertically on a sill,poteaux-sur-sol, or into the earth,poteaux-en-terre. An infill of lime mortar or clay mixed with small stones (pierrotage) or a mixture of mud, moss, and animal hair (bousillage) was used to pack between the logs. Many times the infill would later be replaced withbrick. This method of construction was used in theIllinois Country as well as Louisiana. General characteristics of a French Colonial dwelling included a raisedbasement which would support the floor of the home's primary living quarters. Exterior stairs were another common element; the stairs would often climb up to a distinctive, full-lengthveranda or "gallery", on a home'sfaçade. The roof over the veranda was normally part of the overall roof. French Colonial roofs were either a steephipped roof, with adormer or dormers, or a side-gabled roof. The veranda or gallery was often accessed viaFrench doors. French Colonial homes in theAmerican South commonly hadstuccoed exterior walls.[4]
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French Colonial was one of four domestic architectural styles that developed during the colonial period in what would become theUnited States. The other styles wereColonial Georgian,Dutch Colonial, andSpanish Colonial. French Colonial developed in the settlements of theIllinois Country andFrench Louisiana. It is believed to have been primarily influenced by the building styles ofFrench Canada and theCaribbean.[5] It had its beginnings in 1699 with the establishment of French Louisiana but continued to be built afterSpain assumed control of the colonial territory in 1763. Styles of building that evolved during the French colonial period include theCreole cottage,Creole townhouse, andFrench Creoleplantation house.[6]
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