This is the new administrative centre under construction in Hambantota. My understanding is that this will be part of the new ‘Siribopura’
Well, I managed get hold of this info from a Planning Institute of Australia doc. Wasn’t aware that PIA is so involved with Hambantota! And the master plan for the 'Siribopura' is not part of that doc, which for what ever the reason reminds me of the city plan of Beijing.
Please note "CARE International Precinct" in Siribopura. WHAT A WONDERFUL NAME FOR A COMMUNITY. WE CAN ALSO HAVE PLACES SUCH AS ICRC COMMUNITY, UNICEF QUARTERS, SLMM NEIGHBOURHOOD ETC.
……….. As previously mentioned, there are 9 Urban Design Precincts within the
Hambantota and three defined precincts within the Sirbopura area.
The Vision for these precincts, as illustrated in figure 01 are set out below:
HAMBANTOTA
Foreshore Precinct: A natural vegetated area reserved for community use, with minimal structures and
incorporation of a public Tsunami Memorial garden area and other amenities into the Beach Park area.
Foreshore Conservation Precinct (East & West): To protect this area as a natural beach environment and
integral part of the Bundela Bird Sanctuary, and to allow salt production to continue in a way that does not
jeopardise this environment.
Tower Hill Heritage and Conservation Precinct: A 'Living Museum' comprising a compact heritage precinct
with buildings of architectural and historical merit, which provide a variety of cultural and tourist amenities
and commercial facilities, within a pedestrian orientated environment.
Commercial Precinct: A pedestrian orientated central precinct with a mix of heritage and modern buildings
enabling a range of commercial and residential uses and tourist related amenities, within a height restricted
built environment.
Special Residential Precinct: A special character precinct with an emphasis on walkability, road safety,
retail and restaurant functions and tourist accommodation, within a compact central area with an enforced
height restriction and emphasis on retention of heritage buildings and character.
Mixed Development Precinct: A Precinct with a mix of regenerative commercial, residential and tourist
related amenities, which will ensure the vitality of this Precinct during and after the construction, and which
maximises the views towards Lewaya Karagan.
Residential Precinct: A Residential Precinct with a variety of housing styles an which maximises the views
to, and protects the intrinsic environmental values of the adjoining coasts, wewa (ponds) and Lewaya
Karagan, during and after the construction of the Hambantota Port.
Salt Industry Precinct: A viable salt-industry Precinct which balances the salt industry needs with the
attraction of the area for tourists and locals alike, conserving the natural environment whilst allowing limited
development
SIRIBOPURA
Tsu Chi Precinct: A fully functional residential precinct representing both Sri Lankan and foreign design
elements overtime, with additional recreational, educational and small retail amenities.
CARE International Precinct: A fully functional residential precinct with ongoing attention to urban design
and with essential connections to adjoining neighbourhoods and surrounding recreational, educational
and retail amenities.
Sabaragama Housing Precinct: A fully functional residential precinct with ongoing attention to urban design
and with essential connections to adjoining neighbourhoods and surrounding recreational, educational
and retail amenities.
The port is designed for futuristic needs of deep draughts and wide yard areas so that when the Colombo Port is unable to expand facilities, the Hambantota Port will be ready to take over that demand and be ahead of competitors in the region, he said. Containers too will be handled for the region, he said.This blog is about the construction of the port. - HBT port blog
Some heavy stuff on cinema and architecture, if you are interested."Cinema is a multi-dimensional art form as Jean-Luc Godard states: 'There are several ways of making films. Like Jean Renoir and Robert Bresson, who make music. Like Sergei Eisenstein, who paints. Like Stroheim, who wrote sound novels in silent days. Like Alain Resnais, who sculpts. Like Socrates, Rossellini I mean, who creates philosophy. The cinema, in other words, can be everything at once, both judge and litigant.'4 Godard's list of the alternative ways of film making could be expanded by one more specific mode: cinema as architecture."
Photo - Lived Space in Architecture and Cinema (Juhani Pallasmaa)
It wont do any harm if you can get hold some of these books and browse through. Who knows, regardless of the content (which I honestly believe is very valuable) you might end up referring to these books any way in a few years time due to uncontrolled proliferation of pretenders to this sastra.
I am planning to do a serial photo-blog on works of contemporary Sri Lankan architects and kicking it off with this house by mates Nalaka & Nilakshi. Again, as usual there is not academic or theoretical basis for the selection. Building are what I like and most of them are also happens to be done by my mates.
When film makers want a nice backdrop for good shoot-out who would they turn to? Of course o Frank Lloyd Wright and his Guggenheim museum in New York. Ramp structure is designer made for a movie set shoot out. And this is not the first time Wright's architecture has been made in to a back drop for doomsday scenarios. Gattaca (Marin County Civic Center) and Blade Runner (Ennis House) are two of those.
How mega cities are choking India according to the Wall Street Journal
Megacities Threaten to Choke India
"Across India, poor migrants keep streaming into cities like Lucknow, many of which are woefully mismanaged and ill-equipped to handle the influx. India has at least 41 cities with more than one million people, up from 23 two decades ago. A half dozen others will soon join the megacity list. Urban experts say the risk is now rising that some of these cities could face the same fate as Mumbai and Calcutta, which became synonymous with poverty and decay in the 1970s and 1980s." (Wall Street Journal)
Here is an interesting counterpoint to this article.
What’s Choking India
Today’s Wall Street Journal has a report, “Megacities Threaten to Choke India,” has a catchy but misleading title. Megacities are not threatening to choke India. The megacities are choking already. What is choking India is basically primal human frailties revealed by circumstances that come about through individual rationality but end up in collective irrationality. (Atanu Day on India's development)
Troppo Architects by Philip Goad (Author), Patrick Bingham-Hall (Photographer), Glenn Murcutt (Introduction)
Troppo is a practice of regionally based studios aiming to develop regionally responsive architectures. Check out their website
