Colonial past
Fort Frederik Hendrik, whose mighty remains can be seen on the archaeological site of Vieux Grand Port, is the very first stone construction on the island... and the only witness left by the Dutch. The first French settlers who succeeded them lived in rather basic wooden buildings. But all that changed with the arrival of Mahé de Labourdonnais, who was determined to change the face of the island. He provided the settlers with labor and materials to build homes worthy of the name, i.e. large ashlar buildings, often with classical lines or inspired by French regional styles (Breton, Lorrain...). The Musée Naval de Mahébourg is a good example. But Labourdonnais also wanted to create real cities. Based on plans by Charpentier de Cossigny, he organized the development of Port-Louis and Mahébourg according to a chessboard plan, with streets and avenues intersecting to form housing blocks. The town was intended to be pleasant and functional, as evidenced by the paving of the sidewalks in Port-Louis dating from this period.
The French were followed by the English, who began by building more fortifications. Fort Adelaide, dominating Port-Louis with its powerful basalt stone silhouette, is a fine example. The English also equipped the island with a railroad, and the arrival of metal architecture was a sign of the progress made in engineering. They adorned the towns with numerous public buildings with imposing stone structures and very "European" lines, such as the Royal College or the Carnegie Library in Curepipe.
The presence of European settlers is also inseparable from an architecture linked to the economy. The large plantations born under French rule prospered under English rule. The chimneys of these factories, which dot the island, are the most visible evidence of this "industrial" architecture, as are the dozens of former sugar factories, some of which have been transformed into cultural centers, such as the adorable Café des Arts (a restaurant-gallery exhibiting the works of painter Maniglier) and, above all, l'Aventure du Sucre, the island's largest museum. But the most touching remains are to be seen in Port-Louis at theAapravasi Ghat, a UNESCO World Heritage site. These are the ruins of an immigration center built in 1849 to house the Indian "indentured" workers who arrived en masse to work on the sugar cane plantations after the abolition of slavery. The remains reveal immigrant shelters, kitchens, toilets, a hospital and, above all, the symbolic 14 steps that immigrants had to climb on arrival. A powerful site that helps us understand the island's complex history.
Creole habitat
The true identity of Mauritius can be seen in its "Creole" architecture, whose codes were quickly adopted by the colonists. It has to be said that this habitat is entirely designed to withstand the constraints of the climate and integrate harmoniously with nature. The large mansions dominating the plantations and the superb houses of the Hauts-Plateaux - built by Mauritians who left the unhealthy air of the cities for the purer mountain air - are quite similar. Built on a stone base to insulate the floor from humidity - which is itself pierced with small openings for ventilation - these houses have a wooden frame, with doors and partitions topped by jalousies or small windows for maximum ventilation. The shingled roof structure is often coated to reinforce its watertightness, and follows a perfectly calculated slope to allow rainwater to drain away.
The living room, in the center, is the largest room in the house, with the other rooms arranged symmetrically around it. All rooms are built in a row to allow air to circulate. For safety and functionality, the kitchen and utility rooms are set apart in a limited area of the courtyard. The back of the house is an intimate space reserved exclusively for the family. The front, on the other hand, is entirely devoted to hospitality, a pillar of Creole culture. That's why the most important space in the house is here: the varangue. This covered veranda with colonnades can border the whole house (the rear veranda is reserved for family use only) or just three sides. It has multiple functions: it protects the house from the elements; it ensures harmonious communication between inside and outside, allowing the scents and colors of lush gardens to penetrate; and above all, it is the home's reception area, hence its particularly elaborate decoration and furnishings. Over time, the varangue has evolved from a simple columned gallery to a balustraded gallery, then to a glazed veranda inspired by European winter gardens. Decoration is also a key element of these beautiful homes. Wooden or metal lacework, elegant canopies and floral balustrades make each home unique. Worth a visit: Domaine des Aubineaux, Maison Eureka, Domaine de Saint Aubin and Château de Labourdonnais.
The same applies to the popular houses found in town. While they retain elements of the grand Creole mansions (varangues, room layouts, etc.), they nonetheless have their own distinctive identity, achieved through clever asymmetry, the use of more modest materials such as sheet metal, and above all, an even greater personalization of the facade, which is now adorned with bright colors and highly stylized decorations (iron and wood festoons, cornices and canopies with intertwined arabesques and volutes, etc.). These houses are more modest in size, constrained by the size of the plot. Some open directly onto the street, others have a garden, the latter being, in the case of the most opulent residences, embellished with gazebos and pavilions and separated from the street by a fence whose gate is called a "baro". The same is true of the little Creole huts that can be seen everywhere in the villages and which, although small and made of humble materials (wood, sheet metal), boast bright colors and pretty ornamentation.
Unfortunately, this superb Creole heritage is tending to disappear, replaced by concrete huts and houses that are less and less respectful of the reasoned principles of local architecture..
Religious crossbreeding
Another special feature of the island is the harmonious cohabitation of different religions. With its imposing stone silhouette flanked by powerful towers, the cathedral seems almost invulnerable to the ravages of time, symbolizing the faith of the island's Catholics. But the most photogenic of all the churches can be found at Cap Malheureux. It's the church of Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice. Immaculately white, it stands on the seafront against the intense turquoise of the lagoon, with the bright red of its astonishingly steep roof.
The Kwan Tee des Salines pagoda is the oldest witness to the Chinese presence. Built facing north, as the deities were supposed to face the sea, it impresses with its roof of curved peaks covered in brightly-coloured glazed tiles. The same decorative power can be found in Hindu and Tamil temples. The island's largest Hindu temple is in the village of Triolet. This is the Maheswarnath Shiv Mandir temple, with its powerful dome and brilliant white walls highlighting the delicate floral motifs. The Tamil Surya Oudaya Sanga temple, with its shimmering colors and dozens of statuettes, is also a must-see. In Port-Louis, don't miss the Jummah Mosque, with its beautiful white and green facade pierced by a superb carved wooden door and its pleasant shaded patio.
This harmonious multiculturalism is not only reflected in the city's religious heritage. Indeed, many neighborhoods, especially the commercial ones, bear the mark of it. Port-Louis has its own Chinatown, whose entrance is marked by a portico with a typically Chinese curved roof. Similarly, the bustling markets and bazaars of the major urban centers are reminiscent of the souks or covered markets of Arab countries.
Contemporary effervescence
The highly attractive island of Mauritius has been unable to escape the insatiable appetite of property developers: hotels have been built everywhere, Port-Louis, or at least the surrounding area, has seen the development of its Cyber-City or business district with a host of high-rise buildings, while its waterfront (Waterfront Caudan) has been transformed into a somewhat overdone window on the island, albeit an architecturally successful one. At the same time, the cities have continued to grow anarchically, often to the detriment of an ignored historical heritage.
Recent projects, however, have shown that it is possible to combine modernity with local roots. Architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, for example, has attempted to bring a real touch of authenticity to the large Anahita resort, with its beautiful villas built from local basalt stone. Similarly, the glass and steel structure of the passenger terminal at SSR International Airport is inspired by the large palms of the Arbre du Voyageur, while the Institut Français, with its 4 portals each representing a local culture, houses trees within its very structure! Respect for nature and the environment was also the guiding principle behind one of Mauritius's most emblematic buildings: the Mauritius Commercial Bank, a transparent elliptical vessel designed by architect Jean-François Koenig and the island's first certified green building.
Opposing the proliferation of energy-hungry, flat-roofed cube-houses built on vegetation-free land, architects such as Jean-François Koenig and Henriette Valentin promote the Creole way of life - freshness, ventilation and light - and never fail to include the traditional varangue in their creations. Henriette Valentin is a key figure in contemporary architecture on the island. She is responsible for the development of the Smart-City Beau-Plan. By 2030, Mauritius will have 11 smart-cities, urban entities designed to improve quality of life through more sophisticated transport networks and quality services, while developing self-sufficiency in water and energy. These projects have attracted the attention of the Nantes School of Architecture, which has set up a campus on the site of the Médine Smart-City, not far from Flic-en-Flac. By 2025, it is expected to accommodate no less than 5,000 students. Let's bet they'll have no shortage of original, sustainable ideas to keep the pearl of the Indian Ocean shining!
