Analyzing the Characteristics of the British Period Residential Buildings’ Façades in the Walled City of Nicosia

This study aims is to analyze the various characteristics of residential buildings façades in the British Period (1878-1960), in North Cyprus. A Façade can be defined as the face and is the exterior view of a building. The role of the facade can be divided into two areas, “Physical structure” and “appearance or appeal”. It includes form and shape, building structure, building material, color, openings, ornamentation and roof type. In the following literature, information about the British Period in Cyprus, the architecture of the British Period (1878-1960), the residential buildings of this Period in Cyprus and their façades according to façade elements were described. The British Period, which was discussed into two periods: I. British Period (1878-1929) and II. British Period (1930- 1960) was one that affected Cyprus in all dimensions, because of these effects; the case chosen for this study is in the Arabahmet district of Nicosia, North Cyprus. Twenty residential buildings from each of the British Periods were chosen and analyzed based on the characteristics of the façade in terms of their elements (form and shape, building structure, building material, color, the openings involved, doors, windows, bay window, balcony, ornamentations and roof types). The methodology included physical analysis such as observation, photography, as well as case study. Furthermore, the analyzing of data through charts, inventory tables and also comparative tables between the two periods is done. Information was collected from a variety of sources to understand all the finer details of façades and the British Period in the Arabahmet district of Walled City in Nicosia. Finally, it was found that all the facades of the British Period residential buildings in Cyprus possessed similar characteristics. Over forty buildings were selected as a case study, and the following was noted: • Increase in the size of openings after First Period (length, wide, height of door and windows). • Use of local yellow sandstone and mud brick in the First British Period and sandstone and reinforced concrete in the Second British Period. • In the First British Period 30% of the buildings have a balcony and 65% of the buildings have a bay window. In the Second British Period 30% of the buildings have a bay window until 1935. After 1948, just a balcony was used instead of bay windows in most of the buildings. • Use of the construction date and sometimes use of some symbolic ornaments on fan light and keystone of the facades of buildings. According to the results revealed from this study, the conclusion is achieved. Some recommendations also were gained from the conclusion as well which can be useful for the further studies. Keywords: Residential buildings, Façade characteristics, Façade elements, British Periods, Nicosia, Arabahmet District.