426:
1981 due to budgetary arrangements preventing any payment to the contractor. This was addressed in
January 1982 however the contractor had committed to other building sites and was not able to substantially recommence works until September 1982. At that stage it was anticipated that the building would not be completed until March 1983. The library building was not finished until 1988 and formally opened by
425:
11,000,000 and an estimated completion within three years. The foundations and floor slab were constructed by the
Ministry of Housing and Construction however due to the slow pace of construction a private contractor was engaged to complete the building by early 1982. Building activity ceased in late
441:
The library has five floors with a total floor area of 11,250 m (121,100 sq ft) and 866 m (2,841 ft) of shelving. There are three reading areas with a seating capacity for 350 readers and several special study rooms, air conditioned auditorium with 145 seats and a conference
442:
room with 30 seats. Following its completion a new facilities have been added, including a book shop, additional auditorium, office space and storage facilities (amounting to a further 1,900 m (20,000 sq ft). In 2013 the library had over 1,000,000 volumes in stock.
393:
The idea of a
National Library for Sri Lanka initially emerged in the 1950s, with a number of prominent scholars and Commission reports urging the respective national governments to consider the establishment of a national library. These included the
457:
reading areas. The central book stacks ensures the best environmental conditions for the storage of the library's books and rare manuscripts. The reading areas are broken down into pairs of
495:
167:
35:
750:
760:
755:
745:
406:
to assist the
National Library Services Board in preparing a design for the national library. A 1.11 ha (2.75 acres) site, adjoining the
517:
481:, extends to external pavement, providing protection for pedestrians from the sun and monsoonal rains, and opens up to an internal garden.
418:
9,000,000. Brawne visualised the building as "a big tree, a shelter from the elements, with its dominant feature a big overhanging roof."
398:
report on government services in 1955, the
Kandiah Commission reports in 1958, and the Brohier report in 1959. In 1974 British architect,
723:
693:
623:
578:
407:
490:
410:, on Independence Avenue, was identified and secured on 13 January 1976. Brawne worked closely with the Chief Architect,
453:, this is achieved by having an air conditioned core of book stacks, at the centre of the building, surrounded by wide
547:
473:
panels, provides the framework for the carrels, which then reflects the layout of the internal structural
427:
268:
430:
271:
399:
350:
454:
641:
Planning the
National Library Building (Technical Report No. 2): 12 December 1976 - 4 January 1977
414:, in the production of construction drawings for the library. The preliminary cost estimates were
719:
689:
671:
Planning the
National Library Building (Technical Report No. 4): 24 August - 16 September 1982
619:
574:
513:
478:
374:
85:
450:
422:
415:
411:
281:
71:
601:
Planning the
National Library Building: 11 September - 11 October 1974, 8 - 31 January 1975
446:
542:
739:
149:
395:
458:
470:
50:
37:
378:
75:
462:
466:
382:
128:
Books, magazines, pictures, photographs, maps, sheet music, manuscripts
474:
403:
421:
Construction of the building began in 1976 for an estimated cost of
508:
Amarasiri, M. S. U; Ceylon
National Library Services Board (1990).
178:
656:
Planning the
National Library Building (Technical Report No. 3)
510:
National Library of Sri Lanka : commemorative volume
114:
Ceylon National Library Services Board Act No.17 of 1970
154:
Digital and hard-copy Sri Lankan published materials
144:
Publications made available to the Sri Lankan public
543:"National Library sets sights on modern storehouse"
356:
346:
341:
333:
325:
317:
309:
304:
296:
288:
277:
255:
247:
239:
231:
223:
215:
207:
202:
197:
193:
173:
163:
158:
148:
140:
132:
124:
119:
109:
91:
81:
66:
23:
496:National Library and Documentation Services Board
168:National Library and Documentation Services Board
377:and the main library and information centre in
618:. Butterworth Architecture. pp. 195–197.
616:From Idea to Building: Issues in Architecture
512:. Sri Lanka National Library Services Board.
8:
594:
592:
590:
194:
20:
381:. It is located on Independence Avenue,
716:Libraries and Learning Resource Centres
686:Libraries and Learning Resource Centres
541:Weerasinghe, M. K. (9 September 2007).
533:
461:each modelled on the dimensions of the
445:The building is designed to maximise
7:
709:
707:
705:
360:Ministry of Housing and Construction
751:Library buildings completed in 1990
14:
402:(1925-2003) was commissioned by
761:Government buildings in Colombo
292:National Library Services Board
246:
639:Brawne, Michael (March 1977).
573:. Springer. pp. 115–116.
491:List of libraries in Sri Lanka
477:. A large projecting entrance
1:
756:Cultural buildings in Colombo
746:Libraries in Colombo District
569:Emanuel, Muriel, ed. (2016).
465:elements. The grid of window
371:National Library of Sri Lanka
198:National Library of Sri Lanka
24:National Library of Sri Lanka
669:Brawne, M. (December 1982).
16:Public library in Sri Lanka
777:
718:. Routledge. p. 131.
688:. Routledge. p. 126.
449:and minimise the need for
110:Reference to legal mandate
599:Brawne, M. (April 1975).
70:14, Independence Avenue,
32:
28:
654:Brawne, M. (June 1981).
614:Brawne, Michael (1992).
714:Edwards, Brian (2009).
571:Contemporary Architects
342:Design and construction
259:27 April 1990
141:Criteria for collection
684:Fisher, Biddy (2013).
219:14 Independence Avenue
97:; 34 years ago
51:6.905979°N 79.865709°E
469:, solar shading and
455:naturally ventilated
431:Ranasinghe Premadasa
373:is a research and a
272:Ranasinghe Premadasa
248:Estimated completion
240:Construction started
203:General information
164:Parent organization
136:~ 1 million volumes
56:6.905979; 79.865709
47: /
433:on 27 April 1990.
95:27 April 1990
519:978-955-9011-51-4
408:National Archives
396:Choksy Commission
375:reference library
368:
367:
364:
363:
305:Technical details
159:Other information
86:Reference library
768:
730:
729:
711:
700:
699:
681:
675:
674:
673:. Paris: UNESCO.
666:
660:
659:
658:. Paris: UNESCO.
651:
645:
644:
643:. Paris: UNESCO.
636:
630:
629:
611:
605:
604:
603:. Paris: UNESCO.
596:
585:
584:
566:
560:
559:
557:
555:
538:
523:
451:air conditioning
412:Panini Tennekoon
266:
264:
195:
189:
186:
184:
182:
180:
105:
103:
98:
62:
61:
59:
58:
57:
52:
48:
45:
44:
43:
40:
21:
776:
775:
771:
770:
769:
767:
766:
765:
736:
735:
734:
733:
726:
713:
712:
703:
696:
683:
682:
678:
668:
667:
663:
653:
652:
648:
638:
637:
633:
626:
613:
612:
608:
598:
597:
588:
581:
568:
567:
563:
553:
551:
548:Sunday Observer
540:
539:
535:
530:
520:
507:
504:
502:Further reading
487:
447:passive cooling
439:
391:
262:
260:
177:
125:Items collected
101:
99:
96:
55:
53:
49:
46:
41:
38:
36:
34:
33:
17:
12:
11:
5:
774:
772:
764:
763:
758:
753:
748:
738:
737:
732:
731:
724:
701:
694:
676:
661:
646:
631:
624:
606:
586:
579:
561:
532:
531:
529:
526:
525:
524:
518:
503:
500:
499:
498:
493:
486:
483:
438:
435:
400:Michael Brawne
390:
387:
366:
365:
362:
361:
358:
354:
353:
351:Michael Brawne
348:
344:
343:
339:
338:
335:
331:
330:
327:
323:
322:
319:
315:
314:
311:
307:
306:
302:
301:
298:
294:
293:
290:
286:
285:
279:
275:
274:
257:
253:
252:
249:
245:
244:
241:
237:
236:
233:
229:
228:
225:
221:
220:
217:
213:
212:
209:
205:
204:
200:
199:
191:
190:
175:
171:
170:
165:
161:
160:
156:
155:
152:
146:
145:
142:
138:
137:
134:
130:
129:
126:
122:
121:
117:
116:
111:
107:
106:
93:
89:
88:
83:
79:
78:
68:
64:
63:
30:
29:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
773:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
747:
744:
743:
741:
727:
725:9781136437984
721:
717:
710:
708:
706:
702:
697:
695:9781136387722
691:
687:
680:
677:
672:
665:
662:
657:
650:
647:
642:
635:
632:
627:
625:9780750612715
621:
617:
610:
607:
602:
595:
593:
591:
587:
582:
580:9781349041848
576:
572:
565:
562:
550:
549:
544:
537:
534:
527:
521:
515:
511:
506:
505:
501:
497:
494:
492:
489:
488:
484:
482:
480:
476:
472:
468:
464:
460:
456:
452:
448:
443:
436:
434:
432:
429:
424:
419:
417:
413:
409:
405:
401:
397:
388:
386:
384:
380:
376:
372:
359:
355:
352:
349:
345:
340:
336:
332:
328:
324:
320:
316:
312:
308:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
280:
276:
273:
270:
258:
254:
250:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
201:
196:
192:
188:
176:
172:
169:
166:
162:
157:
153:
151:
150:Legal deposit
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
118:
115:
112:
108:
94:
90:
87:
84:
80:
77:
74:, Sri Lanka,
73:
69:
65:
60:
31:
27:
22:
19:
715:
685:
679:
670:
664:
655:
649:
640:
634:
615:
609:
600:
570:
564:
552:. Retrieved
546:
536:
509:
459:carrel desks
444:
440:
437:Architecture
420:
392:
370:
369:
347:Architect(s)
224:Town or city
113:
18:
318:Floor count
300:five floors
256:Inaugurated
92:Established
54: /
740:Categories
528:References
471:clerestory
329:11,250 sqm
326:Floor area
284:11,000,000
263:1990-04-27
120:Collection
102:1990-04-27
72:Colombo 07
42:79°51′57″E
428:President
379:Sri Lanka
357:Developer
269:President
235:Sri Lanka
211:Completed
76:Sri Lanka
39:6°54′22″N
485:See also
467:mullions
313:concrete
310:Material
67:Location
475:columns
389:History
383:Colombo
337:1.11 ha
334:Grounds
261: (
232:Country
227:Colombo
216:Address
181:.natlib
174:Website
100: (
722:
692:
622:
577:
516:
479:canopy
463:façade
404:UNESCO
297:Height
289:Client
208:Status
185:/index
554:5 May
720:ISBN
690:ISBN
620:ISBN
575:ISBN
556:2022
514:ISBN
321:five
278:Cost
251:1988
243:1976
187:.php
133:Size
82:Type
423:Rs.
416:Rs.
282:Rs.
267:by
183:.lk
179:www
742::
704:^
589:^
545:.
385:.
728:.
698:.
628:.
583:.
558:.
522:.
265:)
104:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.