Sasakawa Trust’s headquarters groundbreaking ceremony held

Here Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Japan Katsuki Kotaro, Guest of Honour, Senior Director Nippon Foundation Japan Masato Seko, Senior Manager of Nippon Foundation Japan Satoko Kuuribayashi, Chairman Sakawa Trust Tilak De Zoysa and Treasurer, Project Leader Mahinda Saranapala at the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday. Picture by Saliya Rupasinghe

Reaching a new phase the Sasakawa Memorial Sri Lanka Japan Cultural Centre Trust took on the mission to construct a 9-floor headquarters equipped with modern facilities and ample space in Colombo7. The Nippon Foundation of Japan has provided USD9 million funding for the project. Design Consortium has been entrusted with the construction of building valued at over Rs. 3 billion.

The Groundbreaking ceremony to construct the new office complex for Sasakawa Trust’s which was formed in 1987 took place yesterday with Katsuki Kotaro, Charge d’affaires ad interim Embassy of Japan, Representative of Yohei Sasakawa/ Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, Tilak De Zoysa- Chairman of Sasakawa Trust, Mahinda Saranapala-Trustee,Project Leader of Sasakawa, the Board of Trustees and Architect Migara Alwis/ Managing Director of Design Consortium International (Pvt) Limited.

The iconic building is approximately 60,000 Sq.ft on 14 levels providing all the modern requirements to function as a contemporary office offering the latest knowhow with high-tech infrastructure that portray an architectural statement in its prominent location at Ward Place, Colombo 07.

The construction takes place at a prominent time giving confidence to the building industry where the current uncertainty in the economy has driven the building industry to cross roads. Such projects will encourage the Consultants and Contractors to embark on projects with confidence and also will help the industry to stabilize where foreign funded projects can enter the market.

“This will help bringing foreign exchange to the country to improve the economy that there are many such projects”, says Architect Migara Alwis from Design Consortium a veteran Architectural Organization which has been providing long standing pioneering Consultancy services headed by Prof. Architect Lakshman Alwis.