Financial Times

National identity crisis in local architecture
By Quintus Perera and Nimesha Herath
At the national conference on Architecture last week in Colombo, the question of a national identity in the architecture came into strong focus. Gaetan Siew, President, Union of International Architects, speaking at the inauguration of the annual Sessions, said the question is whether to integrate modernity within the national identity. With modernity the progress is so vast, the information communication technology is still expanding.

He said with a world population of 6 ½ billion, two billion are using mobile telephones and one billion uses computers while large sections of people use modern technology.

On one side globalization is strong for national identity, and on the other side it is in for universality, one that would absorb into the culture and into the learning process as a heritage.

He said, “When we look around ‘Western’ seems to be everywhere and its architecture is very seriously on everyday life and this could also be considered globalization.” Siew said that in developing countries many politicians looking at very modern buildings simply identify them as development. In some countries like France globalization is seen as against their cultural heritage and prestige.

He said globalization is a sensitive issue and there is no single country that doesn’t mention two things – sustainable development and the cultural identity and both are closely linked.

Rukshan Widyalankara, President, Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, said when they get better and bigger contracts more stakeholders would join year after year and grow with enthusiasm and active participation in the building trade.
He noted that bureaucratic and administrative apparatus of the government should facilitate the objective of using local talent as otherwise there would be no use of the lofty ideals of the policy makers.

He said that while the government indicated that it would use local talent, some government bodies deviating from this principle, procure consultants outside the state and non-professionals are being awarded large scale government projects.

Widyalankara said that some of these contracts are very complicated in nature such as hospitals. He pointed out there are many instances where local consultants have been overlooked in foreign funded projects. “We see this in no small measure in the tsunami reconstruction work,” he added.

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said that some of the building construction trends and styles are pleasing to the eye, pleasing to one’s aesthetic sense, but some are not and too ostentatious and some obviously unsuited to Sri Lanka’s environment and climate.

“There is so much value in our traditions. And it is a shame to give it up for external influences.” said Raj Rewal, Principal architect, Raj Rewal Associates.
Architects need to adapt to different contexts in designing for public preference.

He said prominence should be given to cultural traditions, moral values, living habits, geographical locations, climate, community needs, etc to retain our national context while blending innovative and contemporary ideas for the final product.

“The texture should be designed in such a way to accommodate space, light and natural ventilation. We need to learn from our traditional architecture. In the past, the buildings consisted of internal courtyards, extra outdoor spaces, fountains, etc that captured and conveyed the essence of life in a discreet manner. Even today, we do not need air-conditioners when we can design in such a way. Yet, we waste energy and also lose a wonderful element of design on its process.”

Sri Lanka can use methods such as grit on concrete rather than fabricating and use glazed glass that would prove to be much cheaper and sustainable. Rewal also suggests that decentralized air-conditioning systems could be applied in order to save energy.

Having said that, the fact remains that most designs have lost their originality. “National Identity is common and is less foreign th an it was ten years ago.” said Kate Schwennsen, President, American Institute of Architects, explaining how globalisation has made the world flat in its context.

“Today’s designs are better, cheaper and more marketable. They have become a ‘global market brand’ where design acts as a market differentiation. Customers identify and demand quality in the design.” she said.

“A perfect example to illustrate this theme would be Las Vegas in USA. It has landmarks built varying from Egypt pyramids to Monte Carlo to New York’s Liberty statue. This has created a popular tourist destination that reflects western consumer culture in a single place,” Schwennsen said.

Kanishka Goonewardena, Associate professor, Urban Design and Critical Theory, University of Toronto, Canada said, “it is nothing but an identity that is branded to cater to the best buyer in the market. One’s identity is affected through capitalism and imperialism. And this cannot be evaded.”
However, even among the giant structures of architecture, there is significant room for humble small dwellings in Sri Lanka commonly accessed by the rural community known as “palpatt”.

“These dwellings however are no longer the domains of the poor.
Rather under the new trend of the world they are eco-friendly, energy saving establishments in the country,” she said.

“Places like the Boutique hotel and River Retreat at Kalametiya though built in simplicity cater to the sophisticated global customer of today,” noted Madhura Premathilake, Senior lecturer, Faculty of Architecture, University of Moratuwa.

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