One does not usually associate beauty with factory equipment, but the Lion Brewery Museum in Biyagama is perhaps the exception to the rule. “This is a building with two faces,” says Sheran Henry of Sheran Henry Associates, the project’s architect. True to his word, the building is a study in contrast. Its external wall is a forbidding four storey, 2 ½ inch thick cement block that, bastille-like, towers over visitors. The interiors are another matter, however.
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| A brewing vessel stands 18 feet tall |
A minimalist design allows for the showcasing of the company’s now retired beer brewing vats and vessels. Once an indispensible part of the company’s Nuwara Eliya factory, these vessels have now been replaced by newer equipment in the modernized Biyagama brewery. Destined for the scrap yard, they were rescued from oblivion by Sheran and his assistant architect on the project Thanushka Wijayapala.
The modest 15 perch site sits on the beautifully landscaped grounds of the Lion’s Biyagama brewery. The brewery itself is reportedly a marvel of modern engineering – a network of computers control the equipment so that the entire factory can run on a skeleton staff if need be. In sharp contrast, the older factory in Nuwara Eliya had a labour intensive production process.
Today, looking at the equipment in the museum it is easy to see the romantic appeal in the old fashioned approach – aside from the copper vessels, the steel roof trusses, steel beams and columns, copper taps and even a cast iron staircase were all salvaged from the old building. Since the original factory was constructed in 1881 and shut down only in 2001, some of these items are over 100 years old.
It was to preserve that sense of antiquity that Sheran and his team kept the supporting steel beams and columns as they were. A thin coat of clear varnish over peeling paint and rust spots makes the pillars safe to brush up against, but textured enough to deserve a second look. Some of these h-irons have been turned into pillars and are also used to support some glass panes.
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| A beautiful sight at night. |
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| A forbidding building from outside |
But it is the brewing vessels themselves that predictably steal the show. They dominate the room – towering over visitors, they stand 18 feet tall. Made entirely of thick copper they are wonderfully appealing in the daylight, but it is at night, that they gleam and shimmer under the overhead lights, tempting one to make fanciful comparisons to leaping flames.
One vat, sawed in half, is suspended over a seating area itself. In another spot, ceiling planks have been carefully placed to allow visitors standing underneath an unusual view of the mechanical innards of a machine.
The cast iron staircase will take you to the second floor where another mammoth awaits. This insulated container is made in part of dark, sturdy wood, and was used to keep the beer cool. From this level, a deck overlooks the grounds of the brewery.
The building forms a simple rectangle, and aside from the one imposing wall that faces the street, the ones that remain are made mostly of glass panes that allow for a flood of natural light.
“The building itself takes a back seat,” says Sheran, explaining that as the designers, they wanted to juxtapose an industrial, factory like design with a more modern, airy approach.
They also opted to pave the floor with uneven, hand cut granite slabs, further contributing to the buildings rustic appeal.
Visitors are welcome to tour the building, but you will need to make an appointment first and can contact Nausha Raheem on 0772465919 to do so. |
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