Facades of Authority: Neo-Classical Architecture as a Symbol of Authority and Identity in India

  • Unique Paper ID: 180217
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 1
  • PageNo: 851-856
  • Abstract:
  • This paper examines the role of Neo-Classical architecture in India as a visual representation of authority, power, and institutional identity. Introduced during the British colonial period, Neo-Classical buildings were designed to convey control, order, and imperial dominance through features such as symmetry, grand facades, columns, and monumental scale. Structures like the Writers’ Building in Kolkata, Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, and Connaught Place were central to the colonial vision of governance and civic planning. After independence, these architectural forms were not rejected but were adapted and recontextualized to suit the values of a sovereign, democratic India. Through the analysis of key architectural features and comparative case studies, the paper explores how these facades have continued to serve as symbols of institutional continuity, state power, and public identity in both colonial and post-colonial contexts. The research highlights how Neo-Classical design remains embedded in India’s political and cultural landscape, reflecting a blend of historical influence and contemporary relevance.

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Copyright © 2025 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{180217,
        author = {Amartya Raj and Ar. Minakshi Rajput Singh},
        title = {Facades of Authority: Neo-Classical Architecture as a Symbol of Authority and Identity in India},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {1},
        pages = {851-856},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=180217},
        abstract = {This paper examines the role of Neo-Classical architecture in India as a visual representation of authority, power, and institutional identity. Introduced during the British colonial period, Neo-Classical buildings were designed to convey control, order, and imperial dominance through features such as symmetry, grand facades, columns, and monumental scale. Structures like the Writers’ Building in Kolkata, Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, and Connaught Place were central to the colonial vision of governance and civic planning.
After independence, these architectural forms were not rejected but were adapted and recontextualized to suit the values of a sovereign, democratic India. Through the analysis of key architectural features and comparative case studies, the paper explores how these facades have continued to serve as symbols of institutional continuity, state power, and public identity in both colonial and post-colonial contexts. The research highlights how Neo-Classical design remains embedded in India’s political and cultural landscape, reflecting a blend of historical influence and contemporary relevance.},
        keywords = {Neo-classical, Psychological impact, design elements, Contemporary architecture, Monumentality, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Symbolism.},
        month = {June},
        }

Cite This Article

  • ISSN: 2349-6002
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 1
  • PageNo: 851-856

Facades of Authority: Neo-Classical Architecture as a Symbol of Authority and Identity in India

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