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| Monday, 09 September 2002 |
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The Old Town Hall's crumbling fortunes
by Asanga Warnakulasuriya In the heart of Colombo city lies one of the most outstanding landmarks in Sri Lanka, the old Town Hall of Sri Lanka. It seems the scorching sun has not affected the landmark as it has been standing there over the centuries. The mastermind behind this wonderful creation was British architect J. G. Smither who himself designed the furniture to match the woodwork in 1873. The unique feature of this painstakingly designed furniture is the back
rest of the chairs which resembled the design of wooden arches in each
window.
The Old Town Hall was used as the municipal headquarters from 1873-1924 until in 1925 it was moved to new premises. Sir S. P. Layard was the first mayor of the old Town Council escorted by nine members. After its renovation in 1980, in 1984 it was turned into a museum by late President R. Premadasa. At present the Old Town Hall is known as the Old Town Council Centre and it is the property of Colombo Municipal Council. At present the centre serves as a museum with most of the furniture having been preserved. You will find coal-powered trucks and a steam roller used for road construction by the British. Also preserved is a van used as a mobile library by the Public Library. Although it is regarded as a museum the main hall of the town council is used for wedding ceremonies by couples who prefer a traditional background to their wedding ceremony. The hall is often used by politicians for their meetings. Every Sunday the main hall is used by the "Voice of Salvation" for religious activities. The Old Town Council Centre charges a very nominal fee of Rs. 2,000 per day or Rs. 350 per hour.
The adjoining Edinburgh Hall which was previously used for stageplays and dramas has now been turned into a marketplace. There are 32 shops in Edinburgh Hall which sell almost everything from groceries to stainless steel. Each shop is charged Rs. 1,500 per month by the Centre. The shops in the Edinburgh Hall have been enjoying good business from the time it started, since Pettah is regarded as the busiest town in Sri Lanka. When interviewed by the Daily News, the Director revealed some of the obstacles faced by him in managing the Old Town Hall Centre. He said that although it's rated as a world heritage site, most of the tourists and even Sri Lankans are unaware of this landmark, resulting in occasional visits made by tourists to the centre. Explaining the difficulties faced, he said that the major threat to this world heritage site is the invasion by the pavement hawkers. They have encircled the centre making it almost impossible to find the centre. The removal of these pavement hawkers has been delayed due to political influence. Some of the shops in the Edinburgh Hall have been even sold for Rs. 4-5 lakhs to vendors by previous owners. The portion of Town Hall which was given to the People's Restaurant was forced to shut down by authorities after the death of the owner when a group partitioned the space into 11 shops and rented each shop for Rs. 10,000, resulting in the authorities taking legal action. The brick wall which separated the Old Town Council Centre was knocked down by the previous government providing an ideal hideout for drug addicts and prostitutes. The Director mentioning development plans said, the CMC has already called for tenders for refurbishing the Centre and it will be carried out in the near future. According to the Director, a renovation programme should be carried out every three years although currently it's done once in five years. If the authorities concerned can look into this matter and provide an alternative place for all pavement hawkers, it would be a positive step towards restoring the lost pride of the Old Town Hall. |
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