Colombo gears up for Architect 2012

Friday, 17 February 2012 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

In its 30th consecutive year the Annual Sessions of the SLIA includes a line of events that takes place during the four day period.

The Annual sessions this year is aptly themed as ‘Regenerating Sri Lanka, the Architect and the Built Environment’ the Annual Sessions of the SLIA will commence with the Inauguration Ceremony on 22 February, followed by the opening of the Members’ Work and Trade Exhibition.

The National Conference on Architecture will be held on the 23rd while the Annual General Meeting and the Fellowship Night on 25 February.

SLIA President Archt. Ranjan Nadesapillai mentioned that the theme ‘Regenerating Sri Lanka, the Architect and the Built Environment’ was selected keeping in mind the government’s focus to make Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia.

The four day sessions will include the participation of distinguished dignitaries from Sri Lanka and well- known foreign Architects. The main component of the Annual Sessions is the Members’ Work and Trade Exhibition to be held for the 29th consecutive year.

The exhibition has proved to be the foremost exhibition in the country’s building industry with over seventy thousand visiting it. The exhibition creates a platform for architects to showcase their work.

The creativity of Architects is recognised through annual awards for design, colour, and young architect of the year award. Local entrepreneurs who manufacture quality innovative building materials as well as trade stalls that offer innovative displays are also recognised through award schemes.

The National Conference of the 2012 Annual Sessions will be addressed by Archt. Prof. Jan Gehl from Denmark, an expert in city planning, renowned Architect Prof. Frans van der Werf from the Netherlands and Prof. Nalini Thakur from India who is an expert on heritage conservation.

The experts from Sri Lanka will include Eng. Janaka Kurukulasuriya, Currently Additional Secretary Ministry of Defence and former Chairman of the UDA, Deshamanya Vidyajyothi Archt. Ashley de Vos, Archt. Prof. L.S.R. Perera, Archt. Dr. Janaka Wijesundera, Archt. Madhura Prematilleke, Archt. Thisara Thanapathy and Dr. Anila Bandaranaike. The Conference will be attended by Members of SLIA, Students of Architecture and several distinguished invitees from other Professional bodies and the government sector.

Students from the two seats of architectural education in Sri Lanka, the Faculty of Architecture University of Moratuwa and the City School of Architecture Colombo will also participate at the National Conference and the Exhibition.

The two concluding events of the Annual Sessions include the Annual General Meeting and the Fellowship Night.

During the Annual General Meeting a new Council for the SLIA is elected. The sessions end on a professional camaraderie at the Fellowship Night.

The ‘Architect 2012’ is organised by the SLIA together with the support of their Strategic Sponsor Alumex (Pvt) Ltd, Associate sponsor Niro Granite from Ranjanas Ceramic, Event Sponsors Lanka Tiles, Mercantile Fortunes, Lankem Robbialac Paints and Media sponsors ITN and Lakhanda.