Capturing the architectural fantasy of Mount Lavinia

Mount Lavinia - The Governor’s Palace by Shevanthie Goonesekera. Reviewed by Ismeth Raheem.
Published by Paradise Isle Publications. Price Rs 8,050.

It was natural that when the British arrived in Sri Lanka in the last decade of the 19th century, they came equipped with British artistic perceptions steeped in their own traditions. Among other things, they also brought with them an architecture and building style with a classical outlook, the sources of which could be traced to Greek and Roman Orders - that became the touchstone of all European architecture for two millennia.

From the very inception of British power in Sri Lanka - a majority of the high officials were steeped in the classics both in architecture and literature. Governor Frederick North, the first British Governor, was an exceptional case as he had not only been on the Grand Tour, but had also held the post of the Chancellor of the Ionian University at Corfu. Therefore, it is understandable that the first substantial official building constructed during Governor North’s tenure in office was aptly called the “The Doric”. Completed in 1804, it was constructed on a site on the desolate northwest coastal strip at the remotely sited Pearl Fisheries Station in Arrippoo, near Mannar. It was Governor North’s idea, the inspiration for which could be sourced to an architectural design, which was based on classical lines - the Doric order - which no doubt lent its name to the building.

Contrary to popular view, it was not the British alone who were the first to introduce this classical mode of architecture and building in the newly conquered Asian colonies-particularly in Sri Lanka. Three centuries before the British arrived, first the Portuguese (1505-1656) and a century and a half later the Dutch (1656-1796) had firmly set the trend. Many of their civil and religious buildings in Sri Lanka were based on classical concepts, reworked during the Renaissance period.

The situation in neighbouring India was similar. By the mid-17th century, the Portuguese in Goa, the French in Pondicherry and the Danes in Tranquebar had forcibly made their own statement in architecture and buildings within their own small enclaves. In sharp contrast to the other colonial powers in India and Sri Lanka, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the British were slow in adopting a building style, which could cope with climate, environment or social conditions that prevailed in these countries.

In Sri Lanka between the 16-18th century the Portuguese and the Dutch administrations produced not only better and more efficient architectural solutions; the resultant outcome was a piece of architecture that looked more pleasing to the eye and sat more comfortably in the Sri Lankan landscape. No doubt, this is one major reason why examples of Dutch period architecture of the mid-17th century are still with us today; and almost nothing exists of the buildings that the British built in the first half of the 19th century. In the design of buildings during the Portuguese and Dutch times consideration was given to details, which were more suited to the local climate and existing resources such as indigenous building materials, and techniques adopted by the local master craftsmen and builders.

This state of affairs is also reflected in the extant records and surveys in Sri Lanka of British buildings of the 19th century.

Considering all the drawbacks that Shevanthie Goonesekera, the author of Mount Lavinia, the Governor’s Palace has to face, the author has made an excellent effort in tracing the highs and lows of the history of the building which now stands at the original site of Maitland’s Government House and is presently called the Mount Lavinia Hotel.

Shevanthie Goonsekera, tries to untangle the origin of the placename Mount Lavinia. Although the author does not subscribe to any one theory postulated by previous researchers such as Dulling, Lewis and Petch she sets out the possible explanation to this long-standing conundrum. Special mention should be made of the views of the building complex as portrayed in the water colour sketches painted in 1836 by Peter Lysaght and in 1848 by Andrew Nicholl. On a personal level, I drew the attention of the author to the existence of the original watercolour of Mt. Lavinia by Lysaght; the existence of the rare portrait sketch of D’ Oyly and the meeting of the Kandyan Chiefs in the Kandy branch of the National Museum.

Many of these interesting and valuable original documents, such as drawings, architectural plans, engravings, water colours, lithographs, and photographs which have been rescued from obscurity by Goonesekera have been published in this book. This I believe is the first time they have entered the public domain.

Shevanthie Goonesekera tries hard to capture the architectural fantasy, which surrounds this building, which has been remodelled and restored several times since 1877 when it was declared a hotel for public use – a problem in research, which has pre-occupied many British and Sri Lankan architectural historians.

Goonesekera has taken pains to study the available visual and documentary evidence and analyse the data and establish a reasonably acceptable chronology of the evolution and growth of the building from a seaside resort bungalow to a modern 300-bedroom hotel complex. She has determined the source and inspiration of the original architectural design, methods of construction, materials and costs - which were facts little known before to scholars in this field of research.

Many of the items of expenditure relating to Maitland’s construction of his Mt. Lavinia residence would always remain a mystery. His successor Governor Edward Barnes who also chose Mount Lavinia as the site for the Governor’s residence expended vast sums of government money for renovating the mansion. Charges were brought against Governor Barnes by the Colonial Secretary’s office, for concealing facts regarding the expenditure for a reconstruction. The Colebrook-Cameron Commission, which was specifically advised to enquire into such fraudulent accounting procedures, failed to make any headway on such matters.

During the early years of British rule accounting and management of funds were inefficient and led to corruption. Many of the costs relating to private expenditure like houses, domestic buildings, transport, food and other lavish entertainments and extravaganzas were carefully concealed in other items of costs, which were acceptable and palatable to the authorities in London. Who sanctioned these expenditures? This was one of the main reasons for the lack of accurate information and records related to expenditures connected to building activities.

The only shortcoming of this excellent publication is firstly the lack of a current map indicating the location of Mount Lavinia in relation to the city of Colombo. Secondly the information contained in the text of the captions of the plates is inadequate. Such interesting visual material needs more explanation than there is now, so that future researchers and scholars could use the sources mentioned more effectively.

But altogether it is a grand production but too steeply priced for the general reading public.