Old Parliament Building, Colombo

Last updated

Old Parliament Building
WerangaR Old Parliament CMB.jpeg
The Old Parliament Building in Colombo
Location map of central Colombo.png
Red pog.svg
General information
Architectural style Neo-Baroque
Town or city Fort, Colombo
Country Sri Lanka
Coordinates 6°55′52″N79°50′35″E / 6.93111°N 79.84306°E / 6.93111; 79.84306 Coordinates: 6°55′52″N79°50′35″E / 6.93111°N 79.84306°E / 6.93111; 79.84306
Completed1930
Inaugurated29 January 1930;92 years ago (1930-01-29)
Cost Rs 450,000
Client Office of the President
Owner Government of Sri Lanka
Design and construction
Architect Austin Woodeson
Architecture firmPublic Works Department of Ceylon
Main contractor Walker Sons and Company
Website
presidentsoffice.gov.lk

The Old Parliament Building, is the building that houses the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka. Situated in the Colombo fort area facing the sea, it is in close proximity to the President's House, Colombo and adjacent to the General Treasury Building. The building housed the island's legislature for 53 years until the new parliamentary complex was opened at Sri Jayawardenepura in 1983.

Contents

Building

The building as the State Council Building of Ceylon Old Parliament Building Colombo.jpg
The building as the State Council Building of Ceylon

The Neo-Baroque-style building was built during the British colonial era to house the Legislative Council of Ceylon, and was an idea of Sir Henry McCallum. This was subsequently included in a proposal made by a committee to construct the new building for the Secretariat, Council Chamber and Government offices on reclaimed land at the northern end of Galle Face, which was approved by the Government in 1920. [1] Austin Woodeson, chief architect of the Public Works Department of Ceylon, was tasked with the building's design; his initial estimate of 400,000 rupees for the scheme was later revised by the Public Works Advisory Board to 450,000. [1]

The building was opened on 29 January 1930 by Governor Sir Herbert Stanley; a year later it was taken over by the State Council of Ceylon for its use, who were tenants of the building until 1947, when the House of Representatives was formed with the onset of self-rule. [2] Following the adoption of a republican constitution in 1972, the National State Assembly convened in the building until 1977, when it was renamed the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Parliament then moved out to a purpose-built complex in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte in 1983; the building then became home to the Presidential Secretariat, housing the Office of the President. The building and the former Council Chamber (formally known as the Parliament Chamber) is a venue for many state events, often the letters of credence of incoming ambassadors and high commissioners are accepted by the President here.

The British Coat of Arms adorned the top of the building face until 1948, when it was replaced by the arms of the Dominion of Ceylon and was once again replaced in 1972 with the arms of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Statues

The front garden of the Old Parliament Building is host to several bronze statues of eminent statesmen, that include:

Related Research Articles

Ranasinghe Premadasa President of Sri Lanka from 1989 to 1993

Sri Lankabhimanya Ranasinghe Premadasa was the third President of Sri Lanka from 2 January 1989 to 1 May 1993. Before that, he served as the prime minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from 6 February 1978 to 1 January 1989. He was awarded Sri Lanka's highest award to a civilian Sri Lankabhimanya in 1986 by President Junius Richard Jayewardene, the first to receive in Sri Lankan history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of Sri Lanka</span> Executive head of state of Sri Lanka

The President of Sri Lanka is the head of state, chief executive, and de jure head of government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The president is the chief executive of the union government and the commander-in-chief of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces.

Parliament of Sri Lanka Supreme legislative body of Sri Lanka

The Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the supreme legislative body of Sri Lanka. It alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the island. It is modeled after the British Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. R. Jayewardene</span> Leader of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1989

Junius Richard Jayewardene, commonly abbreviated in Sri Lanka as J.R., was the leader of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1989, serving as Prime Minister from 1977 to 1978 and as the second President of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence. A longtime member of the United National Party, he led it to a landslide victory in 1977 and served as Prime Minister for half a year before becoming the country's first executive president under an amended constitution.

D. S. Senanayake The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

Don Stephen Senanayake was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon having emerged as the leader of the Sri Lankan independence movement that led to the establishment of self-rule in Ceylon. He is considered as the "Father of the Nation".

William Gopallawa President of Sri Lanka from 1972 to 1978

William Gopallawa was the last Governor-General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 and became the first and only non-executive and ceremonial President of Sri Lanka when Ceylon declared itself a republic in 1972 and changed its name to Sri Lanka. From 1948 to 1972, the Dominion of Ceylon was a Commonwealth realm with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state and Queen of Ceylon. He served as Governor-General during the tenure of different governments headed by Sirimavo Bandaranaike of the SLFP and Dudley Senanayake of the UNP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike</span> 4th Prime Minister of the Dominion of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 1956-59

Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike, often referred to by his initials as S. W. R. D. or S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and known by the Sri Lankan people as "The Silver Bell of Asia", was the fourth Prime Minister of the Dominion of Ceylon, serving from 1956 until his assassination in 1959. The founder of the left-wing and Sinhalese nationalist Sri Lanka Freedom Party, his tenure saw the country's first left-wing reforms.

Dudley Senanayake Sri Lankan politician (1911–1973)

Dudley Shelton Senanayake 19 June 1911 – 13 April 1973), was a Sri Lankan statesman who served as Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1952 to 1953, in 1960 and from 1965 to 1970 and Leader of the Opposition from 1960 to 1964. Senanayake's tenures as prime minister were associated with democratic socialist policies focused on agricultural and educational reforms with a pro-western alignment.

John Kotelawala

General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala was a Sri Lankan statesman, who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1953 to 1956.

Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke Sri Lankan statesman

Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke was a Sri Lankan statesman. Having served as an important figure in the gradual independence of Ceylon from Britain, he became the third Governor-General of Ceylon (1954–1962). He was the first Ceylonese individual to hold the vice-regal post.

In Sri Lanka, the Cabinet of Ministers is the council of ministers that form the central government of Sri Lanka. The body of senior ministers responsible and answerable to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The President is a member of the cabinet and its head.

Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Presiding officer of the Parliament of Sri Lanka

The Speaker of the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the presiding officer of the chamber. The current Speaker of the Parliament is Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, in office since 20 August 2020. The Speaker fulfills a number of important functions in relation to the operation of the House, which is based upon the British Westminster Parliamentary system.

President's House is the official residence and workplace of the President of Sri Lanka, located at Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Since 1804 it had been the residence of British Governors and Governors-General and was known as the "King's House" or the "Queen's House" until Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort (Colombo)</span> Place in Sri Lanka

Fort (Colombo) is the central business district of Colombo in Sri Lanka. It is the financial district of Colombo and the location of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the World Trade Centre of Colombo from which the CSE operates. It is also the location of the Bank of Ceylon headquarters. Along the foreshore of the Fort area is the Galle Face Green Promenade, built in 1859 under the governance of Sir Henry George Ward, the Governor of Ceylon during British colonial era. Fort is also home to the General Post Office, hotels, government departments and offices.

Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake

Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake was a Sri Lankan politician. He was Minister of Trade and Commerce during the period 1952-56 and 1956-60. He was elected a Member of Parliament from Dambadeniya in 1952 and in 1956 from Kelaniya, thus holding concurrent seats from two constituencies, while he retained his seat from Dambadeniya in 1960 and 1965. He was the eldest son of the freedom fighter Fredrick Richard Senanayake and was educated at the Royal College, Colombo and at Downing College, Cambridge and had become a barrister.

The General Treasury Building is the building that houses the Treasury of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Finance & Planning along with several of its departments. It was formerly known as the Secretariat Building therefore it is still officially called The Secretariat. It is situated in the Colombo fort next to the Old Parliament Building, which is now the Presidential Secretariat.

The Sri Lankan Parliament Complex is a public building and landmark that houses the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Situated in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the administrative capital, it is built on an island, surrounded by the Diyawanna Oya. It was designed by Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prime Minister of Sri Lanka</span> Head of the cabinet of ministers of Sri Lanka

The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the head and most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's executive branch behind the president, who is the constitutional chief executive. The Cabinet is collectively held accountable to parliament for their policies and actions.

Senanayake family

The Senanayake family is a Sri Lankan family that is prominent in enterprise and politics. Along with many members who have been successful politician across generations, the family includes two Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka.

References

  1. 1 2 "Colombo Landmarks". The Sunday Times . Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  2. ↑ "Sri Lanka Today". Department of Information. 1986: 24.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.