Architecture of Lucknow is mostly Nawabi in its style and origin, and reflects the architectural style of 18th and 19th century India. This city was located in the Awadh region and was popularly referred to as the city of the Nawabs. It was also under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals. During the first war of independence Lucknow was an important center. Lucknow prospered under Nawab Asaf Ud Daulah. The history of Lucknow`s architecture commenced when Nawab Asaf Ud Daula (1775-1798) shifted the headquarters of his government from Faizabad to Lucknow. Following the migration of learned men, poets, artists and soldiers from Delhi and Faizabad, this new centre became the nucleus of an urbane, literate and sophisticated society. In the last decades of the eighteenth century, the exodus from Delhi carried with it the descendants of those master architects and craftsmen who had been employed for generations by the Mughal emperors of Delhi. It was the later Mughal tradition of architecture which was brought to Lucknow and which deeply influenced its style of buildings.

The Lucknow school of architecture was propagated by the Nawab of Awadh and it was done mainly to preserve the Mughal School of architecture by incorporating some innovative concepts. Lucknow is the heartland of Indian Shiya Muslim and this fact is reflected in the architectural creations of the place. Islamic architecture is predominant in the capital city of Lucknow.

Stages of Lucknow Architecture
In view of the historical development of the city, the growth of Lucknow`s architecture may be studied in three phases. Firstly, there are monuments dating to the Sur and Mughal eras.

The second phase of Lucknow`s architecture includes the Nawabi era, i.e. 1775-1856. This phase has been further sub-divided into two, the first of which dates from 1775 to 1800, encompassing the reigns of Nawab Asaf Ud Daula and Nawab Saadat Ali Khan. Though there was excessive building activity during this time, architecturally it was a traditional phase. On the one hand it represents the adaptation of later Mughal architecture, which was itself already in decline. On the other hand it was also the time when Claude Martin, an influential European in the court of the Nawab, and the engineers of the British East India Company were creating buildings in Lucknow. So during this time while Asaf Ud Daula was building his magnificent Imambara Asafi, Martin was building palaces with European elements, which were to have a deep impact on the architecture of Lucknow.

Asaf Ud Daula`s successor, Nawab Saadat Ali, was particularly captivated with the European lifestyle. He encouraged the construction of European buildings and took active interest in designing his own palaces.

In the second phase of Nawabi architecture (1800-1856) are those monuments, which belong to the first half of the nineteenth century, before Awadh was annexed by the British. These monuments are characterised by a hybrid style, incorporating Indo-Muslim and European elements.

The third phase comprises those monuments raised by the British between 1857 and 1947.

Style of Lucknow Architecture
Various regional and local building techniques mingled to give the architecture a distinctive character of its own. A number of influences have shaped the architecture of Lucknow, such as the prevalence of Persian ideology and European styles of construction. The Mughal influence has been the greatest and elements of Shiite faith are prominently seen in the architecture of Lucknow. The distinctive features of Lucknow architecture is the application of fish as a decorative pattern especially in the gates of the buildings. Of the secular structures the Umbrella Palace is a prominent architectural establishment. The magnificent building has large underground rooms and a dome surmounted by a gilt umbrella. This use of umbrella is an exclusive style of Lucknow. The Sikandar Bagh is a renowned garden architecture of Lucknow. There is a small pavilion in the middle of the garden which was utilised for the performances of music and dances. The use of sandstone and thick lime plaster with floral and geometric motifs carved in relief are also notable features of Awadh architecture, and an important religious monument in which these elements appear is the great Jama Masjid erected by Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah. The massiveness and grandeur of this mosque are unparalleled in Awadh. Structurally, it follows the conventional plan of a Mughal mosque with minarets at the side. However its facade and its lofty recessed arched entrance, with colourful paintings, are true expressions of Awadh architecture. These are also noticeable in the Rumi Darwaza, the Sikandar Bagh Gate and the Jilokhana gates of the Husainabad Imambara. The majestic Islamic structural designs of the monuments and buildings of Lucknow are truly awe-inspiring.

Types of Lucknow Architecture
The architecture of Lucknow is categorised in two broad groups like the religious buildings which encompasses mosques, the Imambaras, Karbalas and other Islamic shrines and the secular architectural specimens such as the enclosed gardens, the palace complexes and the Baradaris. The palaces built by the Nawabs for their own use were essentially traditional in their design and layout, and much less "European" than the "Kothis". The kothis, which were European in style, were situated on the outskirts of the city, and were smaller in scale. They were rarely used, for their design and layout corresponded little with the lifestyles of the Nawabs and their families. The baradari was another popular type of building found in Lucknow. The Baradari (a pavilion with twelve openings) has been in use since the fourteenth century. The Sultans of Delhi, the Rajput kings and the Mughal emperors and noblemen built baradaris inside forts and palaces, in the sylvan outskirts of cities, in Shikargahs (hunting parks), gardens, and along river banks. They also built Baradaris in the midst of lakes or tanks, known as Jal Mahals.

The religious buildings of Lucknow consist of the Asafi Imambara or the Bara Imambara and the Chhota Imambara which are of great architectural importance. The renowned Bhul Bhulaiya forms a part of the Asafi Imambara complex. The architecture reflects the embellished Mughal style. The structural design of the building is devoid of any European elements or the use of iron. The architecture of the Chhota Imambara is of the Charbagh pattern, i.e., the Mughal garden architectural style. The design pattern used in the monument is Indo-Islamic in nature but incorporates a generous quantity of Persian crafts. The Jami Masjid Friday mosque of Lucknow is a relatively new structure and thus it has many embellishments in the Mannerist style. The exterior has stucco instead of brick finish, which makes it appear darker, while the interior is bright and colourful.

Among some of the outstanding architectural marvels of Lucknow are the Asafi Imambara, along with its towering mosque and the imposing Rumi Darwaza, the Constantia or La Martiniere, which though not a royal edifice, is of great significance as being the most outstanding example of the European style of architecture. The two mausoleums of Nawab Saadat Ali Khan and his Queen Khurshizadi are classic examples of the later Mughal tomb, also seen in Delhi, Allahabad, Haryana and Punjab, the great Jama Masjid erected by Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah etc.