What you dream is what you get

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

You can't escape architecture. In the densely occupied Colombo city, it surrounds us in the form of office buildings, shopping malls, private homes and public areas. Whether you are strolling in the park or walking from your parking space, you see design everywhere.

Although we may cease to notice the familiar, a monument of unique design never fails to win appreciation. Semondu restaurant is one such venue which never fails to amaze all those who walk in. Set in the heart of the city, hidden away in the Old Dutch Hospital premises the restaurant is designed to set the mood for a quiet lunch or dinner.

"We wanted to contrast the interior with the old finishes of the building. We looked at introducing a lot of streamline shiny elements to differentiate with the rugged elements of the old building. The main feature of the restaurant is that it is two and a half feet off the ground level. Therefore when a person sits inside the restaurant they are actually looking into the front forecourt and centre courtyard from a higher elevation," Chartered Architect Sheran Henry of Sheran Henry Associates explained.

Sheran and Project Architect Nandaka Jayasinghe had worked in putting together the Semondu designs in the 1800 sq ft setting together. Around 64 people can be accommodated at Semondu. Managed by SriLankan Airlines it not only serves food from their exquisite menu but also resembles the interior of an aircraft with its furniture designs and seating arrangements.

"The layout of the restaurant allows flexibility. All the lights can be dimmed to suit the mood of the people and time of the day. The glass floor is lit up from below and constantly changes colour. There are about seven to eight colours," Nandaka too put his thoughts into new architectural light.

Another significant aspect of this colour change technique is that you can time it to change every five minutes or every hour, according to your preference.

It also happens gradually so that at the end of sharing a juicy story over a tantalizing dish, you suddenly realize that the bluish environs that you have walked into have gradually turned green.

"The SriLankan Airlines change their marketing and graphics regularly. The ideas was to showcase Sri Lanka. All the sidewalls have a glass facing in front of it and from time to time they change the graphics. The entire kitchen also functions like one in an airplane since most of the food is brought down from Katunayake. There is only one arm rest and one back rest in the chairs. It automatically makes someone who is sitting down face the next person," Nandaka added.

Speaking about the technical features of the design Sheran noted, "The entire restaurant is air conditioned from ground up. Why we had the air conditioning unit installed beneath the floorboards is because the high intricate roof with a lot of wooden timber. We did not want to ruin the look with huge A ducts. That's why we hid all the services. Our main concern was how to address the historical building and how to blend with it.".

Finding good design in unexpected places in a surprise indeed. The uniqueness of the place lies in its past that is brought to life through the thick beams on the roof and the pillars that make up the ambiance, taking you back in time.

One of the toughest challenges that Sheran and Nandaka had faced was creating a fully fledged kitchen in a limited space.

"Whatever designs we have inserted can easily be taken out. For example the kitchen is built on a platform that can be removed. The floor was done on a wooden deck framework that can be pulled apart without harming the original design as well," Sheran said adding that the main feature of the restaurant is the grander off the period building.

Comfort is one of the key elements that they have looked into while renovating the premises. A guest will be made to feel at home to while indulging in his or her meal for a long span.

Sheran Henry Associates have undertaken quite a number of renovations in the past. They area also involved in cooperate work and designing showrooms and office interiors and community projects in Thalawakale.

"We do not do housing schemes because people need homes rather than houses. A home does not consist of just four walls. A home reflects a person's inner personality. We got into the habit of renovating a lot of our buildings because a lot of our clients from the past did not have money to build new buildings. They asked us to take a look at the old buildings and renovate. We started off in this manner and renovation became part and parcel of our work. Our strongest area is that we handle the whole spectrum. It is also a learning curve for us because what we learn from one project can be implemented to another in a different fashion. For instance what we experiment with an office interior can be implemented into a housing project or a retail project," Sheran said.

Queried if they believe in the notion that architects are more of builders of dreams rather than those who design mere buildings Sheran said though there are dream projects that come through and through, you need to dream about your project, the project has to be custom tailored at the end of the day.

"You need to be able to balance what you want, what you feel is right for the client and the client's direct needs. It is also a common dream with your client because that is why we get a brief from him or her on her needs. None of our projects have any similarity with one another. You can send a dream across to your client which he or she had never dreamed of," he expressed.