Port City picks global architect firm for financial district

SOM Associate Project Manager Gabriele Pascolini and SOM Director Peter Kindel receiving the award from Megapolis Ministry Secretary N. Rupasinghe, with SLIA President Archt. D.H. Wijewardene and CHEC Port City Planning and Development Director Lim Kian Siew looking on

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), one of the world’s largest architecture, interior design, engineering and urban planning firms, which was judged the winner of the International Conceptual Urban Design Idea Competition for the Financial District and Marina of the Colombo Port City, was presented with its award at a ceremony held recently at the Cinnamon Grand, Colombo.   

The competition, which was supported by the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA) and sanctioned by the International Union of Architects (UIA), was conducted under UIA guidelines. Three top international names pitted their skills against one another over a period of four months, at the end of which the winner was announced. Nikken Sekkei of Japan, Gensler headquartered in San Francisco and SOM, which also hails from the US, were the participants whose names remained anonymous until the final announcement was made, in accordance with the rules of the competition. 

The objective of the ideas competition was to inspire the best design and plan concepts for the financial district and the marina of the Colombo Port City. All participants were required to use certain aspects of the master plan as a guideline such as the specified roads and services networks, public areas and the overall development value. The three participants were given the freedom to re-organise the land use, mix, height and other development parameters provided they kept to the allocated boundaries. 

Megapolis and Western Development Ministry Secretary N. Rupasinghe, who was Chief Guest at the event, said that bringing in some of the world’s best designers for this competition was a boost to the country’s image as well as the megapolis. “Unlike any time in the history of our country where our cities have taken centuries to grow organically, today we have a planned city which will be completed in 25 years. We will have to look at the demands and preferences of the future citizens of this city and that is why we need to have the best designers contributing their ideas to the master plan.”

CHEC Port City Colombo Director of Planning and Development Lim Kian Siew said that the Colombo Port City development project intends to create elite neighborhoods both on-ground and above-ground.  “There would be smart business and finance enclaves of elegance and charm in a setting that complements and completes this futuristic collective infused with spaces and places of leisure, relaxation and entertainment,” he said.

The panel of top international jurors which judged the competition comprised the District Commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission Dr. Deborah Dearing, who has over 30 years’ international experience in urban design and strategic land-use planning; Prof. David Dernie, Chartered Architect, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Westminster, the UK; Calvin Tsao, acclaimed practitioner with a leading voice and a representative of contemporary architecture from New York; and Prof. Harris Trevor Gordon Stuart representing UIA, the co-founder of Harris-Kjisik Architects, Finland. Pali Wijeratne, a highly qualified Sri Lankan architect and town planner with over 50 years’ experience in conservation, was also on the panel, representing the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects.

The participants separately visited the project site and development during the period from 20-28 March 2017. The international jury panel met over a period of three days to deliberate and decide on the winning submissions, which took place over a closed-door discussion held from 16-18 May 2017.

Giving her views on the competition, Jury Chairperson Dr. Dearing said that they looked at much more than the creation of iconic buildings in selecting the final winner.  She says that they looked at aspects such as how the design ideas related to the environment as well as social and economic sustainability.  She added that there was a distinctive difference in the way the SOM team had approached the project and it was visible in the way they had laid out streets, the sort of buildings they used and community facilities as well as opportunities of growth and implementation. The way in which they had created a relationship with these beautiful buildings, the green spaces, the Marina and public areas made for an impressive theme.  

 “We were not just impressed with this team, but thought that this was the way for the Port City in Colombo to lead the world in demonstrating new ways and innovation for the next century. We mean that genuinely and all the jury was unanimous in that. We spent a lot of time debating which projects performed better in a whole range of criteria and we are very happy to unanimously decide that the winning team is Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).” 

The Guest of Honour at the ceremony, Archt. D.H. Wijewardene, President of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, was of the view that a competition such as this should be made a practice for all landmark projects.  

“Design competitions have become a world trend today as it helps to get different options and wider perspectives for a project and helps the project initiators to get an opportunity to see the most suitable and viable design solutions. This is not very common in Sri Lanka, but it should be made a practice for all landmark projects in the country. This will open up the stage for creative people so that finally the best design solution will emerge,” he said.