Sri Lankan Parliament Building

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Sri Lankan Parliament Complex

General information
Town or city| Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Country| Sri Lanka
Coordinates| 6°53′13″N 79°55′07″E﻿ / ﻿6.886826°N 79.91868°E﻿ / 6.886826; 79.91868
Inaugurated| 29 April 1982
Cost| $25.4 million US
Client| Government of Sri Lanka
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Geoffrey Bawa
Main contractor| Mitsui Group

The Sri Lankan Parliament Complex (Tamil: இலங்கை நாடாளுமன்றக் கட்டடம்; also known as the New 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.

## History

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### Original building

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On 29 January 1930 the British Governor of Ceylon, Sir Herbert Stanley (1927–1931), opened a building fronting the ocean at Galle Face, Colombo, designed for meetings of the Legislative Council. It was subsequently used by the State Council (1931–1947), the House of Representatives (1947–1972), the National State Assembly (1972–1977) and the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1977–1981). Today the Old Parliament Building is used by the Presidential Secretariat.

### Relocation proposal

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In 1967 under Speaker Sir Albert F. Peris, the leaders of the political parties unanimously resolved that a new Parliament building should be constructed on the opposite side of Beira Lake from the existing Parliament at Galle Face, but no further action was taken. While Stanley Tillekeratne was the Speaker (1970–77), the leaders of the political parties entrusted the drawing up of plans for a new Parliament building to architects, but the project was subsequently abandoned.

Location of the parliament building around the Diyawanna lake

### Current building

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On 4 July 1979, then Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa obtained sanction from Parliament to construct a new Parliament Building at Duwa, a 5 hectares (12 acres) island in the Diyawanna Oya (off Baddegana Road, Pita Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte) about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) east of Colombo. The island was where the palace of the King Vikramabahu III's powerful Minister Nissaka Alakesvara had been situated. It had belonged to E. W. Perera prior to being vested in the state.

The building was designed by architect Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa and built by a Japanese consortium of two Mitsui Group companies for a cost of over $25.4 million US. The project was completed on a scheduled time of 26 months. It was officially opened on 29 April 1982 by then President J. R. Jayewardene.

## Architecture

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Sri Lanka's Parliament Building was designed by respected local architect Geoffrey Bawa. The building is designed in a style of regional modernism. While the building is an example of Modernism, it still respects Sri Lankan vernacular architecture.

The parliament complex has the allusion of symmetry, which contrasts sharply with the organic form of the lake it is located in.

## See also

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* Old Parliament Building, Colombo

## External links

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* Sri Lankan Parliament Official Web Site
* History of Parliament of Sri Lanka
* A new Parliament

* v
* t
* e

Parliament of Sri Lanka

* 16th Parliament
* Members of the 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka

Members|

| Current members|

* By length of service
* Youngest members
* Longest-serving members ever

|

Women and
minority members|

* Sri Lankan Tamil members
* Sri Lankan Moor members
* Other minority members
* Lady members
* Appointed members

Leaders|

* Prime Minister (list)
* Speaker of the Parliament (list)
* Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees
* Deputy Chairman of Committees
* Leader of the House
* Leader of the Opposition
* Chief Government Whip
* Chief Opposition Whip

Parliament Secretariat|

| Secretariat leaders|

* Secretaries-General (list)
* Deputy Secretary General (list)
* Assistant Secretary General (list)

|

Departments|

* Serjeant-at-Arms
* Administration
* Legislative Services
* Finance and Supplies
* Hansard
* Co-ordinating Engineer
* Catering and Housekeeping
* Information Systems and Management

Powers,
procedure
and customs|

| Powers|

* Legislative Power of the Sri Lankan Parliament

|

Committees|

* Selection
* House
* Standing Orders
* Parliamentary Business
* Public Accounts
* Public Enterprises
* Privileges
* Public Petitions

Items|

* Mace
* Chair
* Bar

History|

* History
* Historic legislatures of Sri Lanka
* Legislative Council (1833–1931)
* State Council (1931–1947)
* Parliament (1947–1972)
* National State Assembly (1972–1978)

Building of Parliament|

* Sri Lankan Parliament Building

Miscellaneous|

* List of Parliaments
* Deaths in office
* Districts

Website: Parliament of Sri Lanka
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