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| Saturday, 9 October 2004 |
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Presidential Secretariat building, an ornament in the city by Dr. K.D. Paranavitana
There was a time when representatives elected and appointed from several communities and classes of population, although hot at times, harmoniously exchanged views together to form an organic unity towards progress of national life, not by the suppression of varying traditions but by their co-ordination on the basis of mutual respect. This building was constructed within the decade of 1920-30 to fulfil the need of a spacious building for the Legislative Council. The proposal for construction was not mooted in a rush but Sir Henry E. McCallum (1907-13) had already felt the need as far back as in 1912. The project delayed for sometime as the attention of the colonial administrators was focused generally on one hand in the first World War and the riots that broke out in 1915 on the other. Governor Sir Herbert J. Stanley (1927-31) in his opening oration stated, '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."
The proposals of the committee were generally accepted by the Government in 1920. The Director of Public Works recorded in his administration report for the year 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 designing this building was '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 plans 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 a 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. Five hundred and twenty six (526) twelve inch piles of 20 feet long (lengthwise) and three hundred and two (302) twelve inch piles of 20 feet long (breadthwise) were constructed. The stone for basement had been quarried at Ruwanwella, an inland town about 40 miles from Colombo. A special quarry was acquired for the purpose of making approximately one thousand (1,000) tons of stone and brought to the site. Another five hundred and thirty (530) tons of stone were brought later to be used in the framework. The heaviest single girder was 51 ft. long and weighed 7 tons. In march 1927, an estimate of Rs. 400,000 for the whole scheme including the Secretariat was forwarded to the Government for sanction. Later it was revised by the Public Works Advisory Board to Rs. 450,000 including extra expenses for lifts, etc. The required sanction was given in June, 1927. At the end of 1927, the steel framework, concrete floors and the brick walls were completed. The building was designed in such a way that it will have an open outlook and benefit of cross breezes from the seafront. The Council Chamber, later Parliament Chamber was located in the centre of the building which sealed itself from the noisy outside and protected from the strong southwest breezes. The chief architect of the Public Works Department A. Woodson deserved the credit for this architectural edifice which still dominates 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 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 open on 29th January 1930 by Governor Sir Herbert Stanley, as the Legislative Council, Consequently, the building was renamed as the State Council just after one year from its opening and made room to house the State Council from 1931 to 47. With the adoption of the Soulbury Constitution in 1947 the building continued to be known as the House of Representatives from 1947 to 72. After the Constitution of 1972 the building was renamed as the National State Assembly and continued upto 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 then the building has continued to serve without being alienated from the democratic process, this time converting it to the Presidential Secretariat and the Office of the Executive President since 1983. All important official announcements and appointments of the State are being administered there. At the beginning the Chamber had accommodation for forty nine 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 upto 1972. A new Constitution was brought into effect in 1978 and the membership again increased to 225. Under the 1978 constitution the Head of State and Government was the President. The Parliament with universal suffrage and proportional representation has a single chamber with 225 members. The members are directly elected but vacancies occurring during the life of a Parliament are filled by nominees of the party holding the seat. The British Coat-of-Arms which was fixed in a prominent position of the facade 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 sea front, 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 wide central gangway. The upper portion of the Chamber was a raised gallery with seating accommodation for approximately 200 persons. Earlier the Governor addressed members of the Legislature inside the Chamber. That tradition ended with Sir Henry Monk-Mason Moor (1944-48) addressing the members in this chamber. The first Ceylonese Governor-General Sir Oliver Goonetilleke made his addresses to the members in this chamber. 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 Duwa in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte the old Parliament building in 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. It was ready for occupation in 1983. This magnificent architectural edifice symbolizes its historic importance even amidst the giant constructions erected in the vicinity subsequently. It would never escape the eyes of anyone passing Galle Face Green with the National Flag hoisted in full mast together with President's Flag when Her Excellency is in her office. |
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Produced by Lake House |
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'.
