Page 56 - JCAU-6-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism A study on the spatial characteristics of gara

rooms, trade office rooms, and carriage garages. The involvement of Western colonizers in the trade competition
functions of the two are similar. among these port cities promoted urban renewal and
(iii) From the blocks analyzed in this article, as shown in architectural innovation, with Surat being precisely under
Figure 13 (NA-5 and NA-6), irregular arrangements the influence of Western colonizers. Based on an analysis
of homesteads and architectural forms appeared in of the formation process of Surat City, the spatial pattern
the non-grid-shaped inner city (such as the Nanavat of historical blocks, and the spatial characteristics and
block). In the ample area of homesteads, a triple- evolution of gara at macro, meso, and micro levels in this
bay haveli architectural form appeared. Looking at study, the following conclusions can be drawn:
each bay of the building alone, its plan shape and (i) According to a comparison of the old city’s street layout
proportions are similar to those of gara. However, no between 1817 and 2018, Surat maintains the original
such situation was found in the outer city. layout, with new roads concentrated in the eastern and
(iv) An example of a haveli, as shown in Figure 1, illustrates southern parts of the outer city. The residential area has
that the haveli courtyard is located in the middle, expanded toward the highlands in the northeast.
dividing the building into three parts, each with a (ii) The texture of the district in Surat is bounded by the
flat form and an aspect ratio similar to that of a gara inner-city wall, which can be divided into grid and
(Figure 13). non-grid shapes. The inner city has a non-grid-like
7.1.2. Factors that cause the difference between gara texture, while the outer city has a grid-like texture. The
and haveli reasons for their formation are as follows:
 Economic development: The slow economic
(i) Social factors: Haveli is a traditional aristocratic residence development of the inner city led to a loose
in India, which is located in the inner city and commonly neighborhood, forming non-grid-shaped structures.
found in the Nanavat neighborhood, as shown in this In the outer city, neighborhoods are products that
study. However, in Surat, many groups of people, such are implemented in a short period. The streets are
as merchants and craftsmen, are residing in havelis. Gara long and tidy, and the entire neighborhood is divided
is suitable for the artisan and merchant classes as it can into a grid shape.
satisfy both commercial and residential needs.  Policy factor: The introduction of typology
(ii) Economic factors: Haveli is usually a triple-bay in South Gujarat resulted in a grid-like block
building type, inhabited mainly by aristocrats. The structure. The inheritance of pol typology led to
overall area of a gara is not large and nearly one-third the formation of a non-grid-like block structure.
of a haveli, with almost no economic needs.  Religious reasons: Muslim neighborhoods adopted
(iii) Cultural factors: Surat is a famous port city in India, non-grid structures.
with havelis as the local aristocratic residence.  Political influence: British colonizers adopted
Throughout history, Surat has flourished in commerce Victorian planning ideas, which contributed to a
and has been influenced by various Western colonial grid-like neighborhood.
cultures, such as the Victorian ideology of Britain. (i) The architectural spatial characteristics of Surat include
Under the influence of colonial culture, the urban the inner-city wall, the inner-city buildings facing
and architectural forms changed, forming a grid-like north-south and east-west with irregular architectural
block pattern, and the characteristic architecture of forms and diverse architectural arrangements, and the
shophouses from Southeast Asia was introduced, outer-city buildings facing north-south with a regular
which merged with the local residential characteristics rectangular shape and undiversified architectural
of India, eventually resulting in gara housing.
arrangements.
Based on the above discussion, the formation of gara (ii) Gara has mostly a single bay and one courtyard layout.
can be attributed to three factors. First, it involves the The evolution of its spatial pattern is related to the
longitudinal segmentation of the original haveli plane. homestead area, number of courtyards, roof changes,
Second, it results from rebuilding based on the original and the position of stairs. The evolution in depth
homestead. Third, it incorporates the introduction of the direction gradually decreases with the segmentation
shophouse architectural form and its integration with the of homesteads, whereas the growth in bay direction
local Indian architecture of haveli by Western colonizers. increases with the changes in functionality.
(iii) In Surat, the growth of the inner city has been slow, and
8. Conclusion buildings have a loose arrangement. Due to insufficient

The flourishing era of the “Maritime Silk Road” led homestead land, the triple-bay haveli residence was
to the prosperity of Asian port cities. In addition, the transformed into a single-bay gara residence.

Volume 6 Issue 1 (2024) 12 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1797