Old Parliment |
Gall Face Hotel |
Municipal Council Colombo |
National Museum |
Colonial
Buildings of Sri Lanka
The Town Hall
The Town Hall of
Colombo, built in front of the Viharamahadevi Park, is the head quarts of the Colombo
Municipal Council and the office of the Mayor. It is the meeting place for the
elected Municipal Council, and today it houses the administrative staff of the council.
Its garden is the venue for many rallies and concerts all year round.
The
plants for the Town Hall were put out on competition and the winning design was
design was submitted by Mr. S.J.Edwards. Mr.T.Reid laid the foundation and construction
work was commenced in 1942 by Messrs. A.A. Gammon and Co. and the building was
occupied in May 1928. Mr.H.E.Newnham, the Mayer during this period, was largely
responsible for the smooth and expeditious completion of the work.The Town Hall
When completed , was regarded as the best building of its kind in the East and
helped to give a new look to the municipal administration of the City.
The
main building stands prominently and commands pleasing views from all angles.
The connecting roads are well laid out. The length and the breadth of the
building are 354ft and 168ft respectively. The total height of the building equals
its width. The elevations are very dignified and refined. The perspective view
shows a very impressive group of buildings crowned by a dorm and tower of fine
proportions. On the ground floor the corridor are straightforward, direct and
well lighted. The council chamber is a magnificent apartment, with ample
accommodation for the public provided in abs elevated gallery.
The Gall Face
Hotel
The Gall Face Hotel is a 148 year old Hotel which has
been in continuous business from its inception in 1864. It is considered to the
oldest purpose built Hotel East of Suez Canal, originally catering to the
guests of the then Colonial Governor whose residences was situated across a
leisure park (The Gall Face Green) – and is today the Residence of the
President of Sri Lanka.
This
160 room property situated in the City Center Of Colombo derives its name from
the picturesque promenade it face called the Gall Face Green which was a
creation by the British Governor at that time, Sir Henry Ward. Designed and
built to British Colonial Architecture the Hotel is known as Sri Lanka’s Heritage
in Hospitality.
The
Gall Face Hotel was conceived and incorporated as a Hotel in February 1864, by
three British Businessmen. To date it is Colombo’s
only Seaside Hotel and still continues to be the most prestigious Hotel in the
City. Though being a City Center Hotel, it has all the attributes of resort
with its Sea frontage and even a Sea water swimming pool.
This
precious Hotel which has been patronized by world leaders and celebrated over
the years has been refurnished many times and mordent facilities have now been
installed while its colonial architecture and character ha seen minted. The
Hotel has been in continuous business since 1864 and in the recent past has won
many prestigious Awards including the First and only Presidential Awards in
2009 and the Pacific Asia Travel Association Award in 2011 for Heritage Hotels.
The Colombo National Museum
(1st January 1877)
The desire of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic
Society to have a permanent home in 1854, took in 1872 the from of more serious
agitation for a public museum culminating in a deputation edging led before Governors
Sir William Henry Gregory by colonel A.B. Flyers , the President of the society
. The Governor being a man of erudition and scholarship himself, was quick to
appreciation this request and as subsequent events show was almost entire
responsible for obtaining the approval of Ceylon Legislative Council to this
proposal, electing a cite for advice on the plans of the building.
The
motion to include a sum of Rs. 50000 under new public works for a museum was
moved by Governor Gregory as the president of the legislative council on
Wednesday 25th September 1872 and the speeches made by him both on
this occasion as well as at the closure of the debate are particularly
significant not only did he make a strong plea for a museum, but also out lined
it’s role in life of the nation.
The
buildings of Colombo
Museum to be construed
was designed in the Italian architecture style by James G.Smith the
architecture of the Public Works Department. It is a two storied building with
open verandahs, arches and pillars with ornate capitals and moldings. A porch
with a balcony is provided at the entrance. Construction of the building was
probably commenced in 1874 and the work completed in 1876 at a cost of Rs.
119993.93 The building was surrounded by Seven are pieces of land over looking Albeit
crescent in the heart of Colombo, known as Cinnamon Gardens. It is said that
constructional work was personally supervised by the Governor. The constructors
were the late W. Marikkar and S.M. Perera in the building construction in 1876
the ground floor consisted of two front verandahs and two more verandahs, are
on the Easton and other on the Weston side.
The Old
Parliament
The President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
is the Head of the State, the Head of the Executive and of the Government, and
the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The office of the President
“Presidential Secretariat” provides the administrative framework for the
exercise of duties. Responsibilities and powers vested in the President by the Constriction
of Sri Lanka.
The Present Presidential Secret is housed at
the Old Parliament building at Gall Face This magnificent edifice which represents
a most important instructional landmark in our country’s political progress was
built 82 years ago an “Ionic style”, one of the five architectural orders. Parliament
building in appended resembles the Parthenon, the chief temple of the Greek
Goddess, Athena, on the hill of the Acropolis at Athens.
The
building was declared open on 29 January 1930 by the Governor, Sir Herbert Stanley
as the Legislative Council. On this occasion, Sri Herbert Stanly said:
“It is the hope and payer of US all that 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”.
(Legislative
Council Debates (1930), vol.1)
With the advent of constitutional reforms and consequent
changes in the name of the Legislature. The building was accepted as the State
Council (1931-1947); the House of Representatives (1974-1978); the national State
Assembly (1972-1978) and shifting the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1978-1982).
After shifting the Parliament to the Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte. This historic
building was re-named as Presidential Secretariat on 8 September 1983.
The
project for construction of this building was originated by His Excellency Sir
Henry McCallum, Governor of Ceylon, in 1912. The site selected was the
reclaimed land at the northern end of Gall Face between the military barracks
and the ‘Beira’ Lake:
Special
precautions were taken with regard to foundations owing to the natural of the
soil and entrance structure is carried on heavy reinforced concrete piles. The
Council building is placed in a commandinding posting on the Gall Face road
facing west. The building has been arranged so as to have an open outlook and
to have the benefit of cross breeze; the council chamber itself has been
located on the east side of the building away from the notice of the sea and sheltered
from the afternoon sun and strong South-West breezes.
The
materials used in the external elevations on the ground floor are stone from a
specially acquired quarry at Ruwanwella; above this there is a plaster treatment.
The plaster being specially blended in color to suite the stone facing on the
ground floor. The structure is fine-proof throughout; steel farming supports
the well, concrete columns. The entire buildings are carried on concrete piling.
Crock carpet and linoleum have been extensively used on the floors so as to
rninirnise noise inside the building; the corridors as well as the entrance
hall are covered with thick rubber matting in blended colors. The chamber has
received special attention in order that reverberation and echo may be reduced
and the acoustic properties rendered as prefect as possible. Walls and ceiling
are covered with “Celotex”, which a patent absorbent boarding is made from the
refuse fibers of sugar cane.
The
fittings to doors and windows throughout are of bronze and the electrical
fittings are also of bronze. The Chamber is paneled in its lower portion with molded
teak paneling, staned dark and wax- polished. The upper portion of the Chamber
is felted up entirely in figured satinwood. The Chamber is now renovated into a
Conference Hall and is presided over by H.E. the President for his official
meetings. The floor of the Conference Hall is fitted up in figured satinwood in
the year 2011. Air is also circulated to the galleries entering through
openings at the back of the seats. The necessity for overhead fans, which so
much interfere with the audibility and cleanness of public speaking, is
obviated. Electric lighting through the building is indirect and secluded, in
most cases the fittings being completely hidden. The upper portion of Conference
Hall is illumined by means of reflected light from floodlights fitted outside
the topmost windows.
Internally
the building is gorgeous , with a fine blending of color in the different
halls, with splendid aoudad acoustic propitiates, and revealing an attention to
detail which reflects the greases credit on the Public works Department and its
Chef Architect, Mr. A. Woodeson. Every effort has been made to afford the
maximum of comfort to all who will work in the building, while the system of
ventilation and lighting are excellent.
The
annexd building to this historic building was built few years back for the
purpose of administrative office for Presidential Secretariat.
Details of
the Issue
Date of Issue: 11th September, 2012
Denomination: Rs. 15.00 x 4
Stamp Designer: Vasantha
Perera
First Day Cover Designer: Vasantha
Perera
Stamp Size: 60 mm x 30mm
Format: Horizontal
Printing Process: Offset
Lithography
Sheet Composition: 50 stamps
per sheet
Perforations: 14 x 13½
Printers: Department of
Government Printings, Sri
Lanka
Colours: 4 process Colours
Paper: 102 gsm. Security
Stamp Paper
Gum: PVA
Quantity Printed: 1000000 x
4
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