Essai d'identification des caracteristiques architecturales des Bow-Windows dans les immeubles de rapport Cas d'Alger centre

Abstract

Algiers has a rich architectural and urban heritage; however, beside the area of the Casbah classified as world heritage in 1992, urban and architectural heritage built during the colonial period are rarely protected and restored, which explains its degradation. The lack of maintenance, overloads and internal or external transformations damage the image of this architectural heritage, who may disappear as a result of urban transformations. The colonial urban and architectural typology constitute major components of the city; knowledge related to this architecture is far from being complete. This architecture brought by French colonization is actually the home of another culture, which requires reconsideration in the present context. Thence, it is now urgent to start researches related to this category of heritage in the city of Algiers, in order to identify its values in the urban landscape, and recognize its typologies to help planning actions leading to protection, preservation and restoration. In the item of the latter, the purpose of this research is to contribute to the creation of an information basis related to this heritage, aiming to be useful for several disciplines. This study deals with a significant architectural element of the colonial heritage in Algiers, namely the bow window. It aims to establish an inventory of this element in a defined area in the city of Algiers, hoping to enhance knowledge about the colonial heritage and setup a basis for a conservation and restoration policy.