The Architect Magazine - January - March 2012

In this issue

Sri Lanka is at crossroads. After a 30 year conflict that brought great hardships to the people and endless destruction to its built-environment, Sri Lanka has finally emerged victorious in bringing the avalanche of social, cultural and environmental catastrophes of the past 30 years to a complete halt. Today it treads along a new path with a vision for a prosperous future. Although the journey has already begun, the path is not all that clear.

The People’s Leasing Company Headquarters – designed by the architects at Design Group Five – is a building that incorporates many new materials and technology in its architecture, bringing forth some novel elements perviously unseen in Sri Lanka.

The view from the Grandstand of the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium is a breathtaking panorama of mountains, lakes and jungle extending deep into the horizon.

The most prominent design features of the Udayapuram Thamil Vidyalam in Periyakallar, Batticaloa, are possibly its simplicity of form, consideration to the arid climate of Batticaloa and the bursts of colour that give it character.

Continuing an ancient Buddhist temple building tradition, Archt Chinthaka Wickramage drew inspiration from ‘Tam pita viharas’ (building on pillars) for the community centre in Thalalla, Matara.