Out of darkness and decay come light and style
When Lavan Sornarajah asked architect Godridge Samuel to transform the small apartment bequeathed by his grandfather, it seemed a quixotic idea. It was in the dilapidated Perahera Mawatha Housing Scheme near Beira Lake, Kollupitiya, a seedy neighbourhood where the back alleys had broken old doors, “hanging windows, sticking out antennas and A/C outdoor units emitting [...]
Words, spoken and written in the times of Corona
Ah, Korona kaaley! These times of corona, when completely new words, words with little currency before, or old words transformed with new meanings have come to define our lives. Like many momentous events in history, the current pandemic has also enhanced the languages that we speak. English is nothing if not a language that has [...]
Letters to the Editor
Dual citizenship clause runs risk of becoming permanent feature in Constitution It was most disappointing that the dual citizenship clause in 19A was changed in the 20th Amendment (20A) due to personal reasons. 20A was passed in Parliament by a two-thirds majority on October 22. We expected the President to act beyond personal reasons and [...]
Appreciations
To our queen mum Santha De Zoysa Amma Dearest – you were our queen mum! It is said death ends a life not a relationship. You had a very staid upbringing with a convent education in Colombo and public school in England. Later on while reading for your degree at the Peradeniya campus your heart [...]
A Portuguese pitstop
Travel, to me, has been a great source of inspiration, curiosity, and connection to a wealth of worldly knowledge and insights. Travel has also proved to be more beneficial in its teachings than a standard education received in school throughout a decade. I am grateful for the profound impact that travel has had in shaping [...]
The one that got away – Yadushika Radhakrishnan
Yadushika Radhakrishnan got into photography this time last year… by accident. She was managing social media campaigns, and had organised a shoot – models at the location, everything ready – when the photographer didn’t materialise. So Radhakrishnan shot the entire thing on her phone (at this point she did not yet own a camera) and [...]
Shaping our living spaces for tomorrow
With new developments steadily emerging in the Sri Lankan cityscape, the conversation around Urban Design is growing louder as we consider how to shape towns, cities, streets and spaces of tomorrow. The recent establishment of the Institute of Urban Designers in Sri Lank seeks to meet that need for Urban Design to support an increasingly [...]
Tour guides gain insights into our colonial architectural heritage
Whilst enhancing the communication competency of German speaking tourist guides and lecturers, the Goethe-Institut recently conducted a two-day interactive workshop focused on imparting an understanding and appreciation of the country’s architectural heritage in colonial times. It also included some insights into Tropical Modern architecture from Minette de Silva to Geoffrey Bawa. The workshop was headed [...]
A forest is much more than just a collection of trees
Trees don’t make a forest. That’s a fact. Tree planting has become a national obsession. Indeed, even a global obsession. The year before COVID saw a competitive clamour to plant the most trees per day- with countries like India, China and Ethiopia vying for top spots on the global tree planting rankings. However, a collection [...]
National Trust lecture on British rule and Lankan historiography
The National Trust Sri Lanka’s monthly lecture to be delivered online at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday, October 29 is on ‘Colonial knowledge formation under British rule and modern Sri Lankan historiography’ by Professor Gamini Keerawella. Those interested could use the following links to join the lecture: Zoom: https://bit.ly/3dGqJNm Website: https://thenationaltrust.lk/news/(which will provide the link) Facebook: [...]
ACWBC: New committee members
The following executive committee was elected at the 71st Annual General Meeting of the All Ceylon Women’s Buddhist Conference held on September 26, 2020: President- Jeevani Sugunadasa; Deputy President- Indra de Silva; Vice Presidents- Shantha Abeysekera, Leela Dharmasiriwardana, Chandrani Gunawardana, Chusitha Sellahewa; Secretary – Monica Fernando; Asst. Secretary- Chandra Ellawala; Treasurer- Niluka Fonseka; Asst. Treasurer- [...]
“You are loved”: A strong social message on suicide prevention
“You are loved” –a social media campaign launched by Rotary Club of Kandy in collaboration with Rotaract Club of Peradeniya last month is sending a strong message of suicide prevention among the youth. After consulting the District Mental Health Officer and Psychiatrist at General Hospital Kandy, the Rotary Club of Kandy joined hands with the [...]
Sepalika Mawatha at long last
On September 20, MMC Sashi Perera of the Kaduwela Municipal Council unveiled the name board ‘Sepalika Mawatha’ in Battaramulla watched by some residents who were gaining their wish to have their roadway named after many years.