A new typology emerged in the middle of the 19th century. The influence of wealthy Indian traders gave rise to the so-called ‘Indian shopfront row house’.

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These were three storey terraced buildings opening directly on to the street, except for one large step allowing the sellers to display their goods, whilst serving as a meeting place and an important place for social interaction. Usually, shops would be situated on the ground floor with storage space at the back. The living areas were situated on the upper floors. Whilst the floor plan of these buildings was usually very simple, the residents displayed their wealth on the outside with carved wooden decorations, ornate balconies and loggias. The particularly ornate wooden Zanzibari doors are a particular feature of Indian craftsmanship.

 

The following drawings show an example of an Indian house divided into three zones on the ground floor. On the street side there is a sales zone which is connected to the storage room at the rear of the building via a corridor. The stairwell is located in between. This layout runs through all the floors. There is also a teahouse on the roof of the building, which is also more common in buildings of this typology.  

 

The party walls are built from coral ragstone and the ceilings constructed from mangrove wood beams. The external and internal walls are constructed in timber. The third floor is covered with corrugated metal sheeting.  

 

This terrace typology is found along the main streets of Stone Town, creating urban street space for buying and trading: a typology that developed from the spice trade (amongst other trades) so important to Zanzibar.