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Facade of development: Kompannaveediya’s heritage building to be bulldozed
The Urban Development Authority (UDA) has approved the demolition of the iconic Soysa building in Kompannaveediya, defying impassioned appeals for it to be preserved as a historical monument.
The Cabinet was recently informed via a note that, because the edifice has still not been gazetted as a heritage building by the Department of Archaeology, there was no impediment to pulling it down. This will free up the land for Tata Housing Development Company Ltd to implement the next phase of its Kompannaveediya mixed-used project.
“If we keep it as it is, it will collapse within two or three months,” maintained Nihal Rupasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development. There was also no legal obstacle, he said, because the Archaeological Department has not officially recognised the Soysa building as being of heritage value and thereby requiring protection.
The Ministry has now informed Cabinet that the UDA will grant the developer, Tata Housing, permission to carry out the demolition. The Archaeology Department confirmed it received a note saying the building was to be taken down.
Mr Rupasinghe vowed that an edifice similar to the Soysa building will be erected nearby with its same façade. But architects fear this will be a farce. And several experts have already deemed the edifice structurally sound, if needing restoration.
In 2017, the same was said of the salmon-hued, chipper Castle Hotel. The developers tore it down saying the first two floors of anything constructed on that site will have the same facade and aesthetics of the old building. The UDA insisted that every line and angle was measured and recorded; that the new designs were made in close consultation with the Department of Archaeology.
Yet, the gleaming white structure that rose there–and which now houses the Tata project office–is nothing like the 140-year Castle Hotel. The new facade is a whisper of the old edifice. The interior is clinical and devoid of character.
They hadn’t known the Castle Hotel would be so abruptly taken down. So, activists are campaigning more forcefully to have the Soysa building preserved. The beautiful Victorian edifice opposite the Kompannaveediya railways station has, at 200 yards, the longest road frontage of any building in Sri Lanka of the same era.
Erected by the great philanthropist Charles Henry de Soysa, it was described by eminent architect Ismeth Raheem as “a remarkable gem of colonial architecture and century-old heritage building”. It is one of the earliest examples of shop houses in Sri Lanka; shops at the bottom, homes on top. Elsewhere in Asia, these rare structures are protected by strict regulations and are premium spaces for apartments and shops.
In July last year, Munidasa P Ranaweera, Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering of the University of Peradeniya, assessed the structural condition of the Soysa building. He found no issue with the foundation and cited residents as telling his team that it “goes to great depths and is very sound”.
Parts of the building have vegetation growing out of it while some window panes have deteriorated. Lack of maintenance has caused plaster on outside walls to fall off in places. Occupants have carried out alternations such as adding mezzanine floors and filling the arches by erecting walls.
Based on his visual inspection, Prof Ranaweera concluded that, despite some cracks on the walls that have stabilised over time and vegetation on the facades, all structural elements–foundation, walls, timber beams, deck of the upper floor, the timber truss and roof timber–are “structurally sound”.
“Currently the building as a whole has no structural issues that threaten its functional continuity,” he holds. “However, given the unique heritage values of this building, it is also recommend to attend to cosmetic repairs to the doors, windows, plaster and to remove the plants and trees growing on the facades on an urgent basis for visual reasons and also to prevent any future harmful effects on the structure.”
This report was circulated among the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, as part of bid to preserve the Soysa building.
Also presented was a study by Dr Nilan Cooray, a conservation specialist, who has actively lobbied the Government against the demolition.
The front facade of the Soya building has been affected by human interventions over the years, Dr Cooray’s report accepts. For instance, some of the original doors and window openings have either been altered or closed up. Others show lack of upkeep. Damaged glass panes or deteriorated timber haven’t been replaced. Drainpipes fixed to the facade are rusty or missing in sections. Not only is this ugly, it causes damp during spells of rain.
Dr Cooray also calls the edifice structurally sound. But “the extent of disfiguring of the architectural fabric of the front façade has contributed immensely to give a false impression that the building is structurally weak”.
The Soysa building was put up by an influential native during the British era, something Dr Cooray says is “a rare situation”. It continues to serve the original function for which it was established. “As such, it is a testimony to a living heritage of commercial nature” he says.
The building also has a concave front façade designed to follow the curve of the road on which it is situated. “Therefore, there is enough justification to save this unique building amid rapid urban development,” he stresses.
Dr Cooray recommends a comprehensive conservation plan for the Soysa building to preserve its historical value, revive its architectural value and sustain its living functional value, so that it could continue to serve its original purpose.
“The living nature of the heritage building having a continuous commercial function could easily be amalgamated into the current urban development or revitalization scheme of the locality so that conservation could complement development,” he states.
The Archaeology Department’s inaction in this regard remains problematic, activists observed. Under law, any monument constructed before March 2, 1815, is automatically protected. But something erected after that date needs to be gazetted by the relevant minister.
Senior officials have repeatedly said they were “in the process” of having it listed as a protected monument under the Antiquities Ordinance. It hasn’t happened and it isn’t clear why.
Last year, the Legal Draftsman’s Department cleared the relevant gazette but it is now reportedly stuck at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, awaiting ministerial sanction. Neither the Ministry Secretary Bernard Vasantha nor Senior Advisor W D Aillapperuma, through whom such documents reach Minister Sajith Premadasa, had heard of the initiative.
There are other issues here. The deeds to the Castle Hotel property and the Soysa building are held by descendants of Charles: his great-grandchildren Ranil, Malathie and the late Geethal and Jayalath. Ranil showed this newspaper attested copies of the deeds. He also has the plan. But despite repeated entreaties to the authorities, the de Soysas have not received compensation for their properties.