Sri Lankan Parliament Building
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| Sri Lankan Parliament Complex | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 6°53′13″N 79°55′07″E / 6.886826°N 79.91868°E |
| Inaugurated | 29 April 1982 |
| Cost | $25.4 million US |
| Client | Government of Sri Lanka |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Geoffrey Bawa |
| Main contractor | Mitsui Group |
The Sri Lankan Parliament Complex (
Diyawanna Oya. It was designed by Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa
.
History
Original building
On 29 January 1930 the British Governor of
Ceylon, Sir Herbert Stanley (1927–1931), opened a building fronting the ocean at Galle Face, Colombo, designed for meetings of the Legislative Council. It was subsequently used by the State Council (1931–1947), the House of Representatives (1947–1972), the National State Assembly (1972–1977) and the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1977–1981). Today the Old Parliament Building is used by the Presidential Secretariat
.
Relocation proposal
In 1967 under Speaker Sir
Albert F. Peris, the leaders of the political parties unanimously resolved that a new Parliament building should be constructed on the opposite side of Beira Lake from the existing Parliament at Galle Face, but no further action was taken. While Stanley Tillekeratne
was the Speaker (1970–77), the leaders of the political parties entrusted the drawing up of plans for a new Parliament building to architects, but the project was subsequently abandoned.
Current building
On 4 July 1979, then Prime Minister
Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte) about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) east of Colombo. The island was where the palace of the King Vikramabahu III's powerful Minister Nissaka Alakesvara had been situated. It had belonged to E. W. Perera
prior to being vested in the state.
The building was designed by architect
J. R. Jayewardene
.
Architecture
Sri Lanka's Parliament Building was designed by respected local architect
regional modernism. While the building is an example of Modernism, it still respects Sri Lankan vernacular architecture
.
The parliament complex has the allusion of symmetry, which contrasts sharply with the organic form of the lake it is located in.