French colonial architecture includes several styles of

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

used by the French during

colonization Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

. Many former French colonies, especially those in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

, have previously been reluctant to promote their

colonial architecture Colonial architecture is an architectural style from a mother country that has been incorporated into the buildings of settlements or colonies in distant locations. Colonists frequently built settlements that synthesized the architecture of their ...

as an asset for

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

; however, in recent times, the new generation of local authorities has somewhat "embraced" the architecture and has begun to advertise it. French Colonial architecture has a long history, beginning in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

in 1604 and being most active in the Western Hemisphere (

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...

, Guiana,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

) until the 19th century, when the French turned their attention more to Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.

In Canada

French settlements in Canada date back to the mid-16th century until the French defeat in

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...

where New France was annexed by the British Crown in 1763 as a result of the Treaty of Paris. The settlements in the regions were extensive, hence the abundant architectural legacy from that period shows itself particularly in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...

but also in the city of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

, which has a significant Canadien population. Most buildings constructed during the French colonial period utilized a heavy timber frame of logs installed vertically on a sill, ''

poteaux-sur-sol Poteaux-sur-sol ("posts on a sill" – sol is also spelled sole and solle) is a style of timber framing in which relatively closely spaced posts rest on a timber sill. Poteaux-en-terre and pieux-en-terre are similar, but the closely spaced posts ...

'', 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 with

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

. This method of construction was used in the

Illinois Country The Illinois Country (french: Pays des Illinois ; , i.e. the Illinois people)—sometimes referred to as Upper Louisiana (french: Haute-Louisiane ; es, Alta Luisiana)—was a vast region of New France claimed in the 1600s in what is n ...

as well as Louisiana. General characteristics of a French Colonial dwelling included a raised

basement A basement or cellar is one or more Storey, floors of a building that are completely or partly below the storey, ground floor. It generally is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the Furnace (house heating), furnace, ...

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-length

veranda A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure. Although the form ''vera ...

or "gallery," on a home's

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means ' frontage' or ' face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...

. The roof over the veranda was normally part of the overall roof. French Colonial roofs were either a steep

hipped roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus ...

, with a

dormer A dormer is a roofed structure, often containing a window, that projects vertically beyond the plane of a pitched roof. A dormer window (also called ''dormer'') is a form of roof window. Dormers are commonly used to increase the usable spac ...

or dormers, or a side-gabled roof. The veranda or gallery was often accessed via

French doors A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security by ...

. French Colonial homes in the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

commonly had

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

ed exterior walls.Bigolin, Steve
"The Landmarks of Barb City"
''Daily Chronicle'', 28 February 2005. Retrieved 15 February 2007. File:Old Quebec (8145449190).jpg, Quebec City presents probably the finest example of urban colonial architecture in North America File:Quebec City, Old City, Tourist.jpg,

Old Quebec Old Quebec (french: Vieux-Québec) is a historic neighbourhood of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Comprising the Upper Town (french: Haute-Ville) and Lower Town (french: Basse-Ville), the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Administratively, O ...

(City) was listed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

Heritage Site in 1985 File:Le Manoir de Niverville.jpg, The manoir Boucher-De Niverville, located in

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of ...

, in Quebec province was built in the mid-17th century File:Château Ramezay - Montreal, Canada - DSC07372.jpg, The Château Ramezay, is one of the best preserved mansion in Montreal, built in 1705. File:07175 Maison François-Jacquet-Dit-Langevin - 001.JPG, The Maison François-Jacquet-Dit-Langevin, located in the heart of Old Quebec, was built in 1675. File:WTMTL T29 DSC00061.JPG, LeBer-LeMoyne House, was an important trading post when it was built in the late 17th century. It is today in historical museum of Montreal. File:Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec 01.jpg,

Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec The Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec ("Our Lady of Quebec City"), located at 16, rue de Buade, Quebec City, Quebec, is the primatial church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec. It is the oldest church in Canada and was th ...

, started in 1647, is the oldest church in the Americas north of the Spanish colonies in Florida and New Mexico.

In the United States

French Colonial was one of four domestic architectural styles that developed during the colonial period in what would become the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. The other styles were

Colonial Georgian Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...

Dutch Colonial Dutch Colonial is a style of domestic architecture, primarily characterized by gambrel roofs having curved eaves along the length of the house. Modern versions built in the early 20th century are more accurately referred to as "Dutch Colonial R ...

, and Spanish Colonial. French Colonial developed in the settlements of the

and

French Louisiana The term French Louisiana refers to two distinct regions: * first, to colonial French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by France during the 17th and 18th centuries; and, * second, to modern French Louisi ...

. It is believed to have been primarily influenced by the building styles of

French Canada French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...

and the

. It had its beginnings in 1699 with the establishment of French Louisiana but continued to be built after

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

assumed control of the colonial territory in 1763. Styles of building that evolved during the French colonial period include the Creole cottage,

Creole townhouse The buildings and architecture of New Orleans are reflective of its history and multicultural heritage, from Creole cottages to historic mansions on St. Charles Avenue, from the balconies of the French Quarter to an Egyptian Revival U.S. Custo ...

, and French Creole

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...

house. File:UConvent2003Mbtrama.jpg, Ursuline Convent in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, built c. 1752. It is the oldest-surviving building from the French colonial period in New Orleans. It is an example of

ed brick construction. File:Peyroux House (French Quarter, New Orleans).jpg, Gabriel Peyroux House in New Orleans, built c. 1780, is an example of ''briquette-entre-poteaux'' (brick-between-post) construction. File:BStJ1784PlantationHouseFrontOak.jpg, Lorreins Plantation, aka Old Spanish Customs House, in New Orleans, built c. 1784 File:Destrehan Manor House 20070706.jpg,

Destrehan Plantation Destrehan Plantation (french: Plantation Destrehan) is an antebellum mansion, in the French Colonial style, modified with Greek Revival architectural elements. It is located in southeast Louisiana, near the town of the same name, Destrehan. ...

near Destrehan, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, built c. 1787, portions were altered in 1840 to reflect the

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...

style. File:Maison Bequette-Ribault.jpg, Bequette-Ribault House in Ste. Geneviève, Missouri, c. 1789 is an example of poteaux-en-terre construction. File:Bolduc House and Detached Kitchen in Ste Genevieve MO.jpg,

Louis Bolduc House The Louis Bolduc House, also known as Maison Bolduc, is a historic house museum at 123 South Main Street in Ste. Geneviève, Missouri. It is an example of '' poteaux sur solle'' ("posts-on-sill") construction, and is located in the first Europe ...

Museum, in Ste. Geneviève, Missouri, c. 1792 is an example of

construction. File:Parlange Plantation, State Highway 93, New Roads vicinity (Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana).jpg,

Parlange Plantation House The Parlange Plantation House (french: Plantation Parlange) is a historic plantation house at Louisiana Highway 1 and Louisiana Highway 78 in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. Built in 1750, it is a classic example of a large French Colonial pla ...

Mix, Louisiana Mix is an unincorporated community in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is the home of the Parlange Plantation House, a National Historic Landmark. It is located along Louisiana Highway 1, south of New Roads. Etymology The com ...

, was built c. 1754 and is an early example of French Colonial architecture in the

In Southeast Asia

French colonisation of three countries in mainland Southeast Asia—Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, known as

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

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, namely

Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi i ...

and

Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

(Vietnam), and

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...

(Cambodia).

Vietnam

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: File:Tonkin_Hanoi_Palais_du_Gouverneur_General.jpg , Hanoi, Presidential Palace File:Hanoi cau long bien.jpg, Hanoi,

Long Biên Bridge Long Biên Bridge ( vi, Cầu Long Biên) is a historic cantilever bridge across the Red River that connects two districts, Hoàn Kiếm and Long Biên of the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. It was originally called ''Paul Doumer Bridge''. Histor ...

File:ExpositionHanoi1902 GrandPalais (1).jpg, Hanoi,

Grand Palais The Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées ( en, Great Palace of the Elysian Fields), commonly known as the Grand Palais (English: Great Palace), is a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées in the 8th ...

built for the Hanoi Exhibition 1902-1903, destroyed during WWII File:Bắc Bộ phủ - 2022-09-02 03.jpg, Hanoi,

Tonkin Palace The State Guest House ( vi, Nhà khách Chính phủ) is a historical monument in Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi, Vietnam. It is presently used as a state guest house. The building is representative of French Colonial architecture in French Indo ...

, formerly housing the French governor of

Tonkin Tonkin, also spelled ''Tongkin'', ''Tonquin'' or ''Tongking'', is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, includ ...

File: Hanoi Opera House, 24 December 2016.jpg , Hanoi Opera House modeled on the

Palais Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera fro ...

in Hanoi File:Ngân hàng Nhà nước - 2022-09-02 03.jpg, Hanoi, State Bank of Vietnam headquarters in

art-deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

style File:Bâtiments_172.jpg, Hanoi,

National Museum of Vietnamese History The Vietnam National Museum of History ( vi, Viện Bảo tàng Lịch sử Việt Nam) is in the Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi, Vietnam. The museum building was an archaeological research institution of the French School of the Far East under F ...

, formerly the first ''

École française d'Extrême-Orient The French School of the Far East (french: École française d'Extrême-Orient, ), abbreviated EFEO, is an associated college of PSL University dedicated to the study of Asian societies. It was founded in 1900 with headquarters in Hanoi in w ...

'' File:La Terrasse, Sofitel Metropole - 2022-09-02 07.jpg, Hanoi, a corner of Hôtel Metropole File:St._Joseph%27s_Cathedral_-_Hanoi,_Vietnam.jpg, Hanoi, St. Joseph's Cathedral resembling Notre Dame de Paris File:Indochina Medical College.jpg, Hanoi, campus of Indochina Medical College and Université Indochinoise File:Police station Hoan Kiem.jpg, Hanoi, a local police station in a colonial building by Hoàn Kiếm lake File:Hanoi Colonial villa.jpg, Hanoi, a French villa in

Ba Đình District BA, Ba, or ba may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Bangladesh Army * Bibliotheca Alexandrina, an Egyptian library and cultural center * Boeing (NYSE stock symbol BA) * Booksellers Association of the UK and Ireland * Boston Acoustics, ...

File:Hanoi Fatherland Front.jpg, Hanoi, a government office ( Fatherland Front HQ) File:Ópera, Ciudad Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, 2013-08-14, DD 02.JPG, Ho Chi Minh City,

Municipal Theatre A municipal theatre is a theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific ...

File:Ayuntamiento, Ciudad Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, 2013-08-14, DD 05.JPG, Ho Chi Minh City Hall File:Ho Chi Minh City, Central Post Office, 2020-01 CN-01.jpg, Ho Chi Minh City, Central Post Office File:Basílica de Nuestra Señora, Ciudad Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, 2013-08-14, DD 03.JPG, Ho Chi Minh City, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica File:Dalat_Palace_Hotel.jpg, Dalat Palace Hotel in Đà Lạt File:03-OPERA HOUSE.jpg, Haiphong Opera House

Cambodia

* In Phnom Penh: ** Central Market ** Royal Railway Station ** Hotel Le Royal ** National Library of Cambodia **Villa Picturesque
Unesco Sino-Khmer Villa
File:Central.Post.Office.Poste.Phnom.Penh.1.Cambodge.jpg, Phnom Penh Post Office File:2009-09-07 09-09 Phnom Penh 034 Train Station-edit.jpg, Phnom Penh Royal Railway Station File:LeRoyal PP.jpg, Raffles Hotel Le Royal File:2016 Phnom Penh, Biuro UNESCO (03).jpg, Phnom Penh UNESCO office File:Disused, but still fairly pristine (14265405650).jpg, Railway station in

Battambang Battambang ( km, បាត់ដំបង, UNGEGN: ) is the capital of Battambang Province and the third largest city in Cambodia. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is the leading rice-producing province of the cou ...

File:2016 Kampot, Muzeum Prowincji Kampot (06).jpg, Building in Kampot

Laos

File:French Colonial House in Luangprabang (1490843210).jpg, A typical colonial house in

Luang Prabang Luang Phabang, ( Lao: ຫລວງພະບາງ/ ຫຼວງພະບາງ) or ''Louangphabang'' (pronounced ), commonly transliterated into Western languages from the pre-1975 Lao spelling ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ (ຣ = silent r ...

File:VillaColVientiane.jpg, A French-style

Arts and Crafts A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...

house in

Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...

In Africa

North Africa

19th and early 20th-century French colonial architecture is typical of the European districts of most

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

n and

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

n cities, as well as

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

. In the mid-20th-century,

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques d ...

became an important center for Modernist architecture. File:NOTRE DAME D'AFRIQUE.ALGER.jpg, Notre-Dame d'Afrique basilica, Algiers, Algeria File:P1020151 (9728164447).jpg, Apartment building in Casablanca, Morocco File:Algeri04.jpg, Apartment building in Algiers, Algeria File:Alger Immeuble rue didouche PB280026.JPG, Apartment building on Rue Didouche-Mourad, Algiers, Algeria (formerly Rue Michelet) File:Algiers The Rue d'Isly (GRI).jpg, Rue d'Isly in Algiers (early 20th century) File:Alger Lycée Bugeaud.jpg, Lycée Bugeaud in Algiers (early 20th century)

West Africa

French colonial architecture is found in many large and mid-sized West African cities, with a particularly significant concentration in the former capital city,

Saint-Louis, Senegal Saint Louis or Saint-Louis ( wo, Ndar), is the capital of Senegal's Saint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, and 320 km north of Senegal's capital city Dakar, it has a population officially ...

. File:Colonial Saint Louis.jpg, Rue Lebon in Saint Louis (circa 1900) File:Saint-Louis maisons coloniales.jpg, Colonial houses in Saint Louis

Central Africa

Brazzaville Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CL ...

, the capital of Congo, and Douala, the largest city of Cameroon have many French colonial buildings. File:Hôtel du Commissaire Général du Gouvernement à Brazzaville (Congo et Dépendances).jpg, The headquarters for the French Commissioner General in Brazzaville (circa 1896–1910) File:Batiment colonial d'époque abritant les services de La Chambre de Commerce d'Industrie de des Mines du Cameroun;.JPG, The Chambre of Commerce in Douala, Cameroon File:Palais de justice a Douala.JPG, The Palace of Justice in Douala File:Ancienne résidence du chef de circonscription.jpg, The former residence of the French regional governor in Douala

References

{{African architecture styles Colonial architecture in the United States New France