The project was done in collaboration with Jestico+Whiles (UK). The new extension to the British Council Colombo sits opposite the original 80-year-old villa, restored and modernised to remain central to the scheme.  The extension replaces several existing buildings, creating a single facility that includes a library, multi-purpose hall and customer services.

 

The design provides a well-structured cohesive facility for the staff and over a thousand visitors.  The first-floor library is connected to the ground floor entrance by an elliptical stairway.  Beneath the library are two contrasting pavilions.  The first is the glazed customer services facility, which includes a full-length tapestry by a local artist. The second holds the multi-purpose hall, consisting of a solid form, clad in polished concrete with back-lit glazed insets.

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In response to the local climate, the first-floor library overhangs the pavilions below creating a succession of covered verandas to provide shade and protection from the rain.  The library has been constructed with north lights to provide natural lighting into the centre of the building, whilst minimising direct sunlight. Clad in half-round clay tiles, reused from the existing buildings, these pitched roofs discharge water onto green roofs located between.  These have been planted with indigenous grasses and flora, minimising run-off and enhancing biodiversity.

 

Total floor area:  26,800 sqft

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