The city of Pondicherry located on the Eastern coast of India, is adorned with rich cultural heritage from the pre-historic to modern colonial era. The monuments built during the French colonial rule still exist and are in use. A considerable effort in the field of cultural heritage preservation has been undertaken by the Government of Pondicherry, ably supported by organizations such as INTACH. Programmes such as Asia -Urbs helped in preserving the architectural heritage of Pondicherry. The collapse of La Mairie de Pondicherry on 29 November 2014 brought forth issues related to previous conservation efforts. An overall understanding of the structural typology, material deterioration and distress is essential in understanding the reasons for the collapse of La Mairie de Pondicherry, and is crucial to ensure the structural health of similar structural typologies in Pondicherry and for developing an appropriate structural conservation protocol for these buildings.