Old Parliament Building

Old Parliament Building Old Parliament Building Old Parliament Building

Old Parliament Building in Sri Lanka: The Center of Administration

Travelling past Colombo’s Galle Face Green towards the area known as Fort, a cityscape looms. In the background, silvery skyscrapers and cream-colored buildings dominate. You will notice a building close to the sea whose dimensions are in complete contrast, being several hundred meters long and only three storey’s high.

This Neo-Baroque-style building was built during the British colonial era to house the Legislative Council of Ceylon. It was built on an idea of Sir Henry McCallum, which led to a proposal made by a committee to construct the new building for the Secretariat, Council Chamber and Government offices on reclaimed land at the northern end of Galle Face’ were accepted by the Government in 1920.

The chief architect of the Public Works Department, A. Woodson was responsible for the design of the building with his initial estimate of Rs 400,000 for the scheme being later revised Rs 450,000, taking into account the extra expenses involved.

The building was declared open as the Legislative Council on January 29, 1930, by Governor Sir Herbert Stanley. He expressed the desire that “all the deliberations, which will be conducted within these walls may serve to weld the several communities and classes of the population together into an organic unity of national life and national progress, not by the suppression of varying traditions but by their co-ordination on a basis of mutual respect.”

Old Parliament Building in Sri Lanka: Architecture

The revivalist architecture of the Old Parliament Building in Sri Lanka integrated exquisite columns of the classical “Ionic” design, gently fluted towards the capital with a representation of two opposed scrolls. The façade of this magnificent building has an entrance reached by ascending many flights of broad steps. At the top are six columns supporting a traditional triangular pediment, and on either side are four more columns. Along the length of the structure is a series of colonnades, a pair with eleven columns each. The building has been aptly described by Sri Lankan architectural historian Ismeth Raheem as a “masterpiece in stone”.

Woodeson gave the building an open outlook so it would receive the maximum benefit from cool breezes. He was also wise enough to locate the Council Chamber on the east side of the building, away from the noise of the sea and sheltered from the afternoon sun. Incidentally, the initial estimate for the construction was 400,000 rupees, which was later revised by the Public Works Advisory Board to 450,000 rupees.

Great care was taken by Woodeson with the interior design, in particular the working environment. Cork carpet and linoleum were used to minimize noise. Lighting is indirect and secluded. Within the Chamber, the acoustic properties are as perfect as possible. Ventilation was provided by air propelled into the building by basement fans. Under members’ seats were adjustable grills through which the air flowed, thus eliminating the need for electric fans that so easily disturb public speaking. In addition, the
illumination of the upper portion of the Chamber is achieved by means of the reflection of floodlights fitted outside the topmost windows.

The British Coat of Arms adorned the top of the building face till 1948, when it was replaced by the arms of the Dominion of Ceylon and was once again replaced in 1972 with the arms of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Since 1983 the Old Parliament, as mentioned earlier, has functioned as the Presidential Secretariat and the Office of the Executive President. This is where all important official announcements are made and appointments of state administered. The building, especially the former Council Chamber, is also the venue for various state functions. In addition, the letters of credence of arriving ambassadors and high commissioners are accepted here by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The front garden of the Old Parliament Building is host to several bronze statues of eminent statesmen;

  • Rt Hon D. S. Senanayake – First Prime Minister of Ceylon
  • Hon Dudley Senanayake – Prime Minister of Ceylon
  • General Sir John Kotalawela – Prime Minister of Ceylon
  • Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan KCMG, KC – Attorney General and first native elected member of a Legislative Council in the British Empire

Nowadays there is nothing other than passing traffic to diminish the view of the Indian Ocean from the west-facing frontage of the Old Parliament. But during those early years in the 1930s there was a former guardroom on the seafront that served as the headquarters of the Boy Scouts Association of Ceylon.

Old Parliament Building Old Parliament Building Old Parliament Building

【 Text by Lakpura™. Images by Google, copyright(s) reserved by original authors.】

O okrese Colombo

Kolombo je největší město a obchodní centrum Srí Lanky. Nachází se na západním pobřeží ostrova a sousedí se Srí Džajavardanepura Kotte, hlavním městem Srí Lanky. Kolombo je rušné a živé město se směsicí moderního života, koloniálních budov a ruin a má 647 100 obyvatel. Metropolitní region Kolombo, vymezený okresy Kolombo, Gampaha a Kalutara, má odhadovanou populaci 5 648 000 a rozkládá se na ploše 3 694,20 km². Kolombo je multietnické a multikulturní město. Je to nejlidnatější město na Srí Lance, v jehož městských hranicích žije 642 163 lidí. Počet obyvatel Kolomba je směsicí mnoha etnických skupin, zejména Sinhálců, Maurů a Tamilů. Ve městě žijí také malé komunity lidí čínského, portugalského, nizozemského, malajského a indického původu, stejně jako četní evropští emigranti. Velká většina srílanských společností má svá ústředí v Kolombu. Mezi průmyslová odvětví patří chemický, textilní, sklářský, cementářský, kožený, nábytkářský a šperkovský průmysl. V centru města se nachází druhá nejvyšší budova v jižní Asii - Světové obchodní centrum.

O Západní provincii

Západní provincie je nejhustěji osídlenou provincií Srí Lanky. Nachází se zde hlavní město zákonodárného sboru Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte a také Colombo, administrativní a obchodní centrum země. Západní provincie se dělí na 3 hlavní okresy s názvem Colombo (642 km²), Gampaha (1 386,6 km²) a Kalutara (1 606 km²). Město je ekonomickým centrem Srí Lanky a sídlí zde všechny hlavní místní i mezinárodní korporace, stejně jako všichni hlavní designoví a maloobchodní prodejci, takže se připravte na nákupní terapii v západní provincii. Západní provincie má nejvyšší populaci ze všech provincií a téměř všechny přední vzdělávací instituce na ostrově se nacházejí v ní. Mezi univerzity v provincii patří Univerzita v Colombu, Univerzita Sri Jayewardenepura, Univerzita v Kelaniya, Otevřená univerzita na Srí Lance, Buddhistická a pálijská univerzita na Srí Lance, Univerzita obrany generála sira Johna Kotelawaly a Univerzita v Moratuwě. Západní provincie má největší počet škol v zemi, včetně národních, provinčních, soukromých a mezinárodních škol.

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