Plus - Colombo Landmarks

The Colombo Club in Galle Face was built with entertainment in mind and the beautiful views only made it more popular among the British

The building now known as the Presidential Secretariat was the house of Sri Lanka’s legislature for 53 years. All deliberations that went into reconstructing the post independent State of Sri Lanka took place in this historic House.

That was a time when representatives elected and appointed from all communities and classes of population, harmoniously exchanged views although heated at times, to form an organic unity towards progress of national life.

This building was constructed between 1920-30, for want of more space for the Legislative Council. Governor Sir Henry E. McCallum (1907-13) had felt the need as far back as in 1912. But the project had been put on hold as the attention of the colonial administrators had been focused on the First World War and the riots that broke out in Sri Lanka in 1915.

Giving the opening address, Governor Sir Herbert J. Stanley (1927-31) had said, “You are meeting in a building not unworthy, in its beauty and its dignity, of the high function which you and your eventful successors will be called upon to discharge, a building in which the people of Ceylon may well take pride, a building which is and will remain a very notable ornament of their capital city. To its design, to its creation, and to its equipment much thought, much care and much skilful craftsmanship have been devoted.”

A committee appointed to review and report on ‘the construction of a new building for the Secretariat, Council Chamber and government offices’ recommended that the ‘new building should be erected on reclaimed land of the northern end of Galle Face’. The proposals of the committee were accepted by the government in 1920. The Director of Public Works recorded in his Administration Report for 1920 that his ‘plans were approved by the government for the erection of government offices and the Legislative Council Chamber and Committee Rooms on the Galle Face reclamation facing south’.

The basic concept adopted in design was the ‘Ionic Style’, one of the five architectural orders. In appearance this building resembles the main temple of the Greek goddess, Athene, on the hill of the Acropolis at Athens. The drawings thus prepared were exhibited and explained at a meeting of the Finance Committee in 1922.

The detailed work plan of the Centre Block which contains the Council Chamber was completed at the end of 1922. Some special precautions were taken to reinforce the foundation as it was to be built on reclaimed land.

Therefore, the entire structure was put up on heavy reinforced concrete piles. In 1924, the work of concrete piles and moulds and a part of the reinforcement was completed. 526 twelve inch piles, 20 feet long and 302 twelve inch piles, 20 feet long were constructed.

The stone for the basement had been quarried at Ruwanwella, an inland town about 40 miles from Colombo. There a special quarry was acquired for the purpose of extracting about 1000 tons of stone.

Another 530 tons of stone were brought later to be used in the framework. The heaviest single girder was 51 ft. long and weighed seven tons.

In March 1927, Rs. 400,000 had been approved for the whole scheme including the Secretariat. Later it was revised by the Public Works Advisory Board to Rs. 450,000. This included extra expenses for lifts, etc. The required sanction was given in June, 1927. By the end of 1927, the steel framework, concrete floors and the brick walls had been completed.

The building was designed in such a way that it would have an open outlook and the benefit of cross-breezes from the seafront. The Council Chamber, later the Parliament Chamber was located in the centre of the building so that it was sealed from the outside noise and protected from the strong southwest breezes.

The chief architect of the Public Works Department A. Woodson deserves the credit for this architectural edifice which still stands out amidst the high rise buildings in the heart of the city.

The main entrance to the building was originally designed to reach the first floor by means of a 50 ft. wide flight of 30 steps. This led to the five large doorways of the entrance hall, former chamber and the public gallery area.

The building was declared opened as the Legislative Council, on January 29, 1930 by Governor Sir Herbert Stanley. One year later the building was renamed as the State Council and remained so till 1947. With the adoption of the Constitution in 1947, the building was known as the House of Representatives from 1947 to 1972.

In 1972 the building was renamed as the National State Assembly and remained so till 1978. Since the introduction of the constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in September 1978, it was again renamed as the Parliament building. Since 1983 the building has been the Presidential Secretariat and the Office of the Executive President.

At the beginning the Chamber had accommodation for 49 members of the Legislative Council and the State Council. The first expansion took place under the Soulbury Constitution in 1947 when the membership of the House increased to 101. Every Member of Parliament was provided with a seat in the Chamber.

The number of members further increased from 101 to 157 as recommended by the Delimitation Commission in 1959. This number continued up to 1972. In 1978 the membership increased to 225. Under the 1978 constitution the Head of State and Government was the President.

With proportional representation, the Parliament had a single chamber with 225 members.

The British Coat-of-Arms which was fixed in a prominent position on the façade of the building was replaced with the insignia of Ceylon and later in 1972 with that of Sri Lanka.

The internal seating arrangement too was changed in 1947. The Speaker’s seat which was originally situated at the west end of the Chamber was shifted to the east facing the seafront. During the time of the State Council the seating arrangement was in tiers with chairs and tables in the shape of a horse shoe and that was replaced with benches arranged in tiers facing across with a wide central gangway. The upper portion of the Chamber was a raised gallery with seating accommodation for approximately 200 persons.

The most colourful events which took place in this Chamber were its inauguration in 1930 and the presentation of the Speaker’s Chair and the Mace by the House of Commons of Britain in 1949.

On completion of the new Parliamentary building complex at Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the old Parliament building at Galle Face was converted to the Presidential Secretariat in 1983.

The necessary alterations to the building to suit the Presidential Secretariat were carried out by Mitsui Construction Company of Japan and it was ready for occupation in 1983.

This magnificent architectural edifice retains its historic importance even amidst the giant constructions erected in the vicinity.