Introduction to Architecture and creative meaningful Architecture

Introduction to Architecture and creative meaningful Architecture

Brief introduction to Architecture…..…

Architecture…..…where where it started? Where did it start? Was it the beginning of animal kingdom? It never stops. How wonderful the nature is …… What a fine craftsmen or an architect that we study as Architecture? What a marvelous creation the whole universe is.

If so , Architecture is a powerful subject full of living qualities and something which has come frame further past and runs through the present towards the endless future …….. Adapting itself to suit the time, place and the nature is the major principle of Architecture.

All the living beings adapted themselves to suit their living environment to ensure their existence. Human beings too adapted themselves throughout the evolution. The only difference is unlike other living beings, man users his capabilities for better environment as he has got the most developed brain of all the living beings.

Accordingly, we can point out that Architecture was oriented where living beings built their shelter and protection. A fish in water, a bird in a sky, all the animals in the land and even a ting termite living in soil are searching for the best environment which suits its physical and mental requirements. Living beings that are searching for a healthy place for that existence. After selecting a proper environment or a habitat, they behave as architects and build their home to suit their requirements.

Architectural Theories

Architecture is the art and, logic and science of designing buildings and other physical structures.And it is both the process and product of planning. Not only that but also designing and constructing space that reflects functional, social, and aesthetic considerations. It requires the manipulation and coordination of material, technology, light, and shadow. Architecture also encompasses the pragmatic aspects of realizing designed spaces, such as project planning, cost
estimating and construction administration. A wider definition may comprise all design activity from the macro-level like urban design, landscape architecture and the micro-level like construction details and furniture. In fact, architecture today may refer to the activity of designing any kind of system and is often used in the information technology world.

Architectural works are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art.Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving architectural achievements.

Evolution of Theories

There is little information testimony about major architectural theory in early ages, until the first century BCE, with the work of Vitruvius. This does not mean, however, that such works didn't exist Vitruvius *** was a Roman writer, architect and engineer, active in the 1st century BCE. He was the most prominent architectural theorist dick in the Roman Empire known today, having written De architecture a treatise written of Latin and Greek on architecture, dedicated to the emperor
Augustus. It is the only surviving major book on architecture from classical antiquity. Probably written between 27 and 23 BCE. It is the only contemporary source on classical architecture to have survived. Divided into ten sections or "books", it covers almost every aspect of Roman architecture, from town planning, materials, decorations, temples, water supplies, etc. It also gathers three fundamental laws that Architecture must obey, in order to be so considered:
firmitas, utilitas, venustas: firmness, commodity (in the sense of functionality), and delight. The rediscovery of Vitruvius' work had a profound influence on architects of the Renaissance, prompting the rise of the Renaissance style. Renaissance architects, such as Niccoli, Brunelleschi and Leon Battista Alberti, found in "De Architecture" their rationale for raising their branch of
knowledge to a scientific discipline.

Architecture for man……

Architecture performed by the early man originated architecture. When time, the philosophers and the educated people observed the man when he was building his house and put forward their conclusions and different concept through it inspiring …………
Architecture as a subject. The fundamentals and the theories of Architecture were recognized as a result of this. Since then we study the subject “Architecture”, experiment on it and experience it. But the architectural theory is unlimited. It spreads in a board area. It is an art…………

The Spatial Forms of Sri Lankan Towns

When the study of the town, we should pay the attention on both the physical developments and physical entities of it. Not only the constructions and the facilities of the town but also its traditional, economical and political backgrounds should be describes.

Every description should be presented subject wise according to different concept in town planning.

As mansion at the beginning, the contribution, the contribution of both the nature and the human kind place a major role in planning a town. That is why it is selected as a place for human settlement.
Considering all these factors, a town is planed and we can clearly identify from methods of town planning according to the subject.

1. Mono-centric Towns
2. Poly-centric Towns
3. Linear Towns
4. Satellite Towns

Physical developments and physical entity can be recognizing clearly in this classification. Not only that, but it also describes the potentials existing qualities and good and bad side of it.

Mono-centric Theory

A town is created as a result of the effects caused by both the nature and the human beings. This process doesn’t consider a certain period of time. Instead, it occurs continuously. But, in town planning, there are some certain concepts that we take into our account. Mono-Centric theory is one of them. According to this theory, a town is built up with several layers in a circular in a circular manner. It can be illustrated by a diagram as given below.

Structural explanation
1. Central business district
2. Zone of Transition
3. Zone of low cost homes
4. Zone of better residences
5. Commuter’s zone


It shows how a town could use its land in a ring pattern . Its center gains a very important place. It can be recognized as the origin of every structure. Activities , population, density …. Etc are created with the changes of a town according to the above ring pattern.

The road network connects the center to the other areas and this network spreads out from the nucleus of the most important and the most common place witch built-up the link. Between the layers of the town.







Colombo as a Mono-centric City

Physical Developments

• Growth of the land use

A city is a place where its land has got a high value. Using this land in a proper manner is more valuable more than that .as I have mentioned earlier a town is planned in different layers according to the mono-centric type. If we study the plan of the town from its outer rings to the center as can clearly notice that its usage, function and the demand increase step by step.

The Central Business District which is the center of the town functions as the commercial zone of it. Each and every square inch of the land has been allocated for an activity with an economic value. Fort and Pettah cover most of the Central Business District zone of the Colombo and other areas around it seem to be connected to the center. Central Business District is the place with suck the population. If you observe the map very carefully towards the center of it. You can notice the broad network of the roads. The reason for this is the huge crowed flowing into the Central Business District trough the 24 hours of the day. This huge crowed helps to activate the Central Business District. Therefore a well organized transport system should be provided to the city center. The fort, railway station and the bus stand provides evidence for this.

Due to the frequent flow of man power in to the city center, its surrounding has been created as a residential zone. But it mostly consists of low cost houses and the duelers are from the rural areas. They line in this zone as temporary residence to fulfill their job recruitments.
A suitable environment for an ordinary life can be recognizing beyond Central Business District but very close to it. It is the suburbs area.
A commuter’s zone exists for away from the city center. It is an illustrated by the outer most ring of the diagram.

Architectural view of Colombo - Sri Lanka

The name Colombo was bestowed upon by the Portuguese. The place which is named as “Kayman Gate “is the start of the river. Then, it was introduced as “Colom Thota” and now it is named as Colombo. It is the business capital of Sri Lanka in the present.

However , Colombo is not perfectly suitable for town planning geographically since it consists of so many wetlands , marshes , paddy fields and water bodies . Not only that , the regular floods caused by overflowing of Kelani river has also made Colombo an unsuitable place for being constructed as the capital of the country . Surpassing all these unfavorable conditions, having a natural harbor in the locality gave Colombo a great opportunity to be developed as the capital of the country. Hence, since 18th century, Colombo has been identified as an active city. It gained more development during the colonial period; The Colombo fort played a major role in this development. All the entire main sections of the city such as business, administration, education, recreation… etc. Were planned and developed considering the fort as the centre of Colombo.

Evolution Colombo…..

Portuguese period – Colombo
During this period Portuguese started to deal with Chinese and Arabic merchants. In 1518, Colombo was like a paradise to all these business connections. The harbor was the most important reasons for this.

Portuguese period –City Plan
In 15th century they planed the city properly. This planning was done very carefully and Pettah and Fort were well covered by this plan Pettah was designed for administration while Fort was designed security purposes. In addition, outer city was planned with a typical European road pattern.

Dutch Period _ Colombo
As a result of the conflict in between Portuguese and Dutch, Sri Lanka was surrounded by Dutch after the Portuguese and these second invaders didn’t leave any single trace of the first. In country planning, Dutch people had received a very high place. Colombo is the bear evidence to prove this.

Dutch Period -City Plan
They planed the city cover each and every sector. They designed the castle on sea side, the city in North East and a sweet river in South East. They reconstructed some of the road built by Portuguese and made them broader and more pleasant. They grow lines of trees either side of the road and paid more attention on cleanliness.
As well, they paid more attention on iconic buildings. The buildings such as administrative centers were highlighted in their construction.

English Period
Town planning done by the Dutch was demolished during the British period. A considerable growth in population could be seen in Colombo in this era and everything seemed to be compact.

In this way, passing several eras and facing numerous changers for a long period, Colombo has been recognized internationally as the business capital of Sri Lanka today. As a result of passing three colonial periods, Colombo has been influenced by European culture. Even today, we follow the town planning introduced to us by these European nations who ruled our country in past few centuries.
A grid pattern network introduced by Europeans can be seen in Pettah and Fort. All the roads in this network were named and allocated for a particular purpose. As an example, the road named as a “Maliban Street“was allocated for the Dutch Ladies to walk leisurely. It was a fashionable road with shaded of trees which was exclusively for the rich. But after the colonial period, it was changed. With the open economy introduced in 1977, The economical business and consumption were changed greatly. But from then to now, there is one factor that has never changed and that is Colombo Fort. Even n the present, all the important sectors of the city such as roads, buildings and urban zoning have been planed taking Fort as the centre because in important and export economy, it is considered to be the Colombo.