Tall buildings and lessons for Colombo, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Tall buildings have always been a subject of controversy. Under post-war construction programs, the Government of Sri Lanka, through its development arm, the Urban Development Authority, has designed and launched large-scale development projects that include the construction of highways, hotels, shipping ports and international airports. Development initiatives in urban areas include a series of high-rise hotels and residences within the city of Colombo, many on public lands overlooking the Indian Ocean, Beira Lake, and other environmentally sensitive areas. This article explores whether the planning and development regime in the City of Colombo is prepared for this unprecedented growth in tall buildings. Using best practices from Toronto, Vancouver, London, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi, which have experienced similar developments, coupled with the analysis of five high-rise projects in Colombo, this article analyzes and compares the state of urban design in Colombo. Along with a few suggestions about overall urban development process, it proposes appropriate urban design and planning measures in the Colombo context to identify where tall buildings should be located, how high they should be, and how they should fit with each other and the public streets and spaces around them. It argues that the new tall developments should be transit oriented and environmentally friendly.