The Chief Architect was a position created in 1865 by Governor Hercules Robinson and the Executive Council of Ceylon to design and oversee the construction of public buildings across Ceylon.[1]
Previously the Public Works Department, which was established in 1849 was managed by British engineers.
The chief architect worked within the Public Works Department and the first chief architect was James George Smither.[2][3] The position was retained following the country's independence in 1948 however it was not until the appointment of Homi Billimoria in 1953, that a Ceylonese architect assumed the role.[4] In 1969 the Public Works Department was abolished and replaced with the Department of Buildings.[5] The department was established as the sole authority and consultancy institution in the construction of government buildings. In 1977 the position of Chief Architect was re-instated, with the appointment of Panini Tennekoon. He was the last recognised Chief Architect, following which the position reverted to Director - Architecture within the department, reporting to the Director General of Buildings.
| Name | Tenure | Birth date | Birthplace | Death date | Death place | Notable works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James George Smither OBE | 1865-1883 | January–March 1833 | Ireland | 1910 | Camberwell, England |
|
| There are no records of a Chief Architect being appointed until 1925 | ||||||
| Austin Woodeson OBE | 1925 - 1932 | 3 May 1873 | Reading, Berkshire, England | 24 November 1935 | Bournemouth, England |
|
| Tom Neville Wynne-Jones CBE, CMG | 1932-1953 | 19 November 1893 | Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales | 21 June 1979 | Frinton-on-Sea, Essex |
|
| Homi Billimoria OBE | 1953-1956 | 23 May 1901 | Colombo, Ceylon | June 1956 | Colombo |
|
| Justin Samarasekera[2][17] | 1956-1962 | 21 May 1916 | Colombo, Ceylon | 3 November 2003 | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
|
| Velayuthampillai Kandavel (acting)[18] | -1969 |
| ||||
| In 1969 the Public Works Department was abolished and replaced with the Department of Buildings.[5] | ||||||
| Panini Tennekoon[21] | 1977-1979 | 5 February 1922 | 17 July 2007 | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| |
| Upali Iddawala[24] | 1997-1999 | 1940 | Ambepussa, Sri Lanka | |||
| Tamara Nandani Welikala Dayaratne | ||||||
| Menaka Mangalanantha (acting)[25] | 2017 - 2019 | |||||
| Ranathunga Arachchige Thushari Sajeewanee Ranathunga[26] | 2019–present | |||||
References
edit- ^ Bingham, Percy Moore, ed. (1922). History of the Public Works Department, Ceylon, 1796 to 1913. Vol. 2. H. R. Cottle. p. 146.
- ^ a b Pieris, Anoma (2013). Architecture and Nationalism in Sri Lanka: The Trouser Under the Cloth. Routledge. p. 88. ISBN 9780415630023.
- ^ Colonial Office (1881). "The Colonial Office List". London: Harrison: 72.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Choksy, Jamsheed K. (2007). "Iranians and Indians on the shores of Serendib (Sri Lanka)". In Hinnells, John; Williams, Allan (eds.). Parsis in India and the Diaspora. Routledge. pp. 194–195.
- ^ a b "Overview". Department of Buildings. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Design of All Saints Church, Galle Fort". All Saints' Church, Galle. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "All Saints' Church". Galle Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "The Architect". 5. Gilbert Wood. 1871: 58.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b Wijesinghe, Dimthri (4 April 2021). "Grand Oriental Hotel: The first step of Colombo's Heritage Square". The Morning. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ Salie, Ryhanna (25 February 2018). "National Museum: Window into the past". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ Barczewski, Stephanie; Farr, Martin, eds. (2019). The MacKenzie Moment and Imperial History: Essays in Honour of John M. MacKenzie. Springer Nature. p. 103. ISBN 9783030244590.
- ^ Hussein, Ameena. "Mumtaz Mahal, The Story of a House". The Nation. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ Sadanandan, Renuka; Hettiarachchi, Kumudini (2 December 2007). "Timeless Tintagel". Sunday Times. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Tintagel opens its doors". Sunday Island. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ Vithana, Shantha Kumara (4 February 2007). "59 years of Independence 1948 - 2007". Sunday Times. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "About YMBA". Young Men's Buddhist Association. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ Anjalendran, C. (1997). "SLA Journal" (PDF). The Architectural Contribution of Dr. Justin Samarasekara. 101 (19): 19–23.
- ^ Fergusons Ceylon Directory 1969-1970 (PDF). Colomb: Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. 1970. p. 74.
- ^ Bergeron, Claude (1986). Canadian architectural periodicals index, 1940-1980. Presses Université Laval. ISBN 9782763770901.
- ^ de Silva, Anouk, ed. (2022). "Publication to commemorate University of Moratuwa's 50 years of Excellence in Higher Education 1972 - 2022". University of Moratuwa.
- ^ "Bandaranaike Samadhi, a symbol with deep meaning - Architect Panini Tennakoon". The Daily News. 21 July 2004. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ Brawne, Michael (4 January 1977). "Planning the National Library Building (technical report no. 2): Sri Lanka - (mission) 12 December 1976 - 4 January 1977". Unesdoc – via UNESDOC Digital Library.
- ^ Sri Lanka. Colombo Public Library (1975). Corea, Ishvari (ed.). Libraries and People: Colombo Public Library : 1925-1975 : a Commemorative Volume. Colombo Public Library. p. 112.
- ^ Ferguson's Sri Lanka Directory 1997-1999 (PDF). Colombo: Associated newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. 1999. p. 101.
- ^ Department of Buildings - Annual Performance Report (PDF). Ministry of Housing and Construction. 2017. p. 6.
- ^ Department of Buildings - Annual Performance Report (PDF). State Ministry of Rural Housing and Construction and Building Materials. 2021. p. 5.