Built-in the year of 1865, The Old City Hall of Ceylon is one of the well-preserved specimens of British colonial architecture. It was the first Municipal Building built in Colombo and it boasts a polarising design movement that is very reminiscent of Victorian architecture. Embellished in colonial charms, the building features a unique outlook and it will make up for an excellent site for photography.
The building welcomes visitors and as you enter, you could feel the colonial history of the nation slowly wrapping itself around you. The old furniture, the rundown machinery, and the portraits hanging over the walls will certainly take you on a journey down the history lane of Colonial Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the building also features a gallery on the ground floor which showcased old trucks, fire engines, and municipal equipment that was used when Colombo was established as a trade city. This stunning building once served as Colombo Municipal Council’s headquarters and was the office of the Mayor of Colombo. It was also a meeting place for the elected officials of the Municipal Council of Colombo.
The interiors and the surrounding of the building boast a surreal ambience and It’s slightly tragic and for some, it may even come in as dark. The faded windows and the dully coloured walls give you that ambience. The building is certainly a contrasting object placed right at the heart of a rapidly developing metropolis and it is somewhat more of a stark reminder of a period that has a contradictory background.
Note; the battered old fire trucks and equipment were once offered to the country as gifts from Japan.
