Heritage conservation project

“Heritage conservation approaches are concerned with adaptations and re-use

Of the heritage sites to the satisfaction of the present day needs”.

Tower Hill Area Conservation Project – Hambantota

Heritage and Culture in planning

Master of Spatial planning Management and Design

Department of Town and Country Planning

University of Moratuwa

Sri Lanka

Y.G.I.Saman Kumara.

1. Background of the study

Since the period of Portuguese, Hambantota was developed as an administrative

centre of district. Not only that, Portuguese, Dutch and English were used as

economic center to export import activates and connecting transport activities with

Galle, Trincomale and Colombo by the sea transportation. Settlements arise in the

Hambantota Town around the fishing port which was established during Portuguese

occupation of the coastal belt. During British rule, much development had taken place

in the township. Hambantota developed as an urban settlement complete with a Police

Station, Court, Hospital and Kachcheri etc.

Existing settlement pattern of Hambantota planed as street settlement and roads

network became as grid system because of the origin by of the colonial period. Tower

hill in particular retains its character as an administrative settlement from this period

with a range of buildings from the early part of the 20th century and exhibits some

fine examples of colonial architecture.

2. Overview

Hambantota area has a long historical background. There are many legendaries of

how Hambantota name originate, out of which one says that it derived its name from a

craft named “Sampan” (a typed of sea boat in the orient) and “Tota” (anchor casting

and mooring point)

There has been evidence to the effect that, during the region of Great Emperor

Alexander in the third century (B.C), Greek Sailors who sailed eastward had touched

this port. The writing of Greek scientist Ptolemys too contained an account of the port

Hambantota. The map indicates the port of Hambantota was indicated as

“DIONIYIT”. It became a prominent port in the Indian Ocean for various nations,

from east and west countries. However there were many international linkages with

Hambantota in goods transportation and the best example for it is the, ancient silk rote

was passing through the Hambantota.

In the ancient period Hambantota area was called as Ruhuna became as part of three

kingdom of Ruhunu, pihity and Maya. (Rohana kingdom) The golden era of the

Rohana kingdom which has a long historical background since pre- historical period

was during the region of king Dutugamunu. The country was unified by him under

one canopy in the 2nd

century B.C. Rohana Kingdom was a fortress of Sinhalese kings

and a food store of the area up to the 12th

century A.D. Thissamaharama area was the

head quarters of the ancient Ruhunu Kingdom. Subsequently it declined in the British

period.

However, Hambantota established itself as an important port during the British

period. Human settlements began to come up around the port of Hambantota.

Accordingly Hambantota developed further not only as a port but as an urban

settlement during that period (until 1928) and Hambantota port developed as a naval

base centre. As a historical evidence that a stone inscription at „Godawaya‟ states that

the Buddhist temple had been granted the right to the income from the harbor. Parts of

a jetty that still exist, and a Customs House, a light house, and other constructions

associated with a port that is seen in the charts of British Admiralty are some of the

evidence.

3. Geographical Location

Hambantota has situated southern part of Sri Lanka and it considered as an

administration city of the entire district. (See figure 1.1) This figure has taken to

identify, the situation and location of study area is in the island. Hambantota district

has bounded, Rathnapure and Monaragala in north, Ampara District in East, the

coastal belt in south and Mathara District from west.

Ambalanbtota is the very closer town of Hambantota and it branded as an agricultural

town. Sooriyawewa is the very important agriculture base town developed by

mahaweli aouthority under the Walawa left bank development project.

Tissamaharama is coming under historical town which is developing rapidly as a

residential area and economic base is coming under agriculture, tourism and fishery

activities. Apart of that, Lunugamwehera area is developing as an air port city in

future parallel to that Mattale and Badegiriya too developing as small cities.

Meegahajandura area is getting ready as a sport city.

Figure 1.1 – Location map

Source – Urban Development Authority

Values and significant of the place

The study area has a value not only the historical but also as a high security area,

attractive area, sensitive area and esthetic values. According to the western system of

administrative, government agent was established for the each district and

Hambantota Government agent used his admin activities and accommodations

activities on this node.

Figure 1.2 – Map of the place


Heritage site

Figure 1.3 – Existing uses of the place


Total land extend of the site is 16 Acre and having terrain of zero meters to 15 meters

height deference of the whole area. It is a good view point and three directions can

observe from the one standing point.

Identification and evaluation of the places

There are thirteen number of archeological and heritage monuments, buildings and

site in tower hill areas which are belonging to the Portuguese, Dutch and British as

follow.

Martello Tower

Martello Towers are considering as small fort which are e constructed purpose of

defense was constructed during the British Empire in 19th

century. They stand up to

40 feet high and typically facilitating for one officer and 15 to 20 other men. Martello

tower is the most valuable monument in tower hill site and there are around 140 of

towers constructed in the world. Only one tower located in Sri Lanka and it is in

Hambantota. The states Martello towers situated in the world is showing in figure no

–1.4

Figure - 1.4 – Map of the Locations of Martello towers

Source – Wikipedia 18/10/2013

Hambantota Martello tower

Sri Lankan Martello tower is situated south coast of the Sri Lanka in Hambantota

constructed by British engineers in 19th

centuries. It has renovated by the government

of Sri Lanka in 1999 to use as a museum of fisheries. After that renovation, lack of

good maintenance some part has been damaged (see figure - 1.5).

Figure - 1.5 – Hambantota Martello Tower


Following buildings and monuments have identified to conserve and rearrange to

change the use for compatible for the conservation and maintenance.

District secretariat office

The British established the administrative centre of the District at Hambantota,

situated the Kachcheri, the court house, the Police station and other Government

establishments in the town. A Customs post was also established. The Green Line, a

round island ship service during colonial times, called at the Hambantota pier. In 1908

the popular writer and assistant government agent was established and engaged his

duties with this building (see figure 1.6).

Figure - 1.6 – Hambantota District Secretariat building


District secretariat bungalow

This is the accommodation place of government agent and Mr. Lenald woulf had used

this as his residence place in his duty period (see figure 1.7).

Figure - 1.7 – Hambantota District Secretariat Bungalow


District secretariat circuit bungalow

This is not a ancient one and constructed in last two decades to purpose of providing

accommodation facilities to visiting officers of government administrative ministry.

Old light house building

This has established at 1903 at Hambantota tower hill area height of the tower is 15

meters (see figure 1.8).

Figure 1.8 – Hambantota Light House

Source – Google image (18/10/2013)

Old court complex

The court complex is coming from the British period that is relating to the

administration duty of the government agent. Well established building is there (see

figure 1.9).

Figure 1.9 – Old Court complex


Old judger’s bungalow

There are two bungalow should be preserve with historical values.

Rest house complex

Part of the rest house building is coming from the English period and that part has to

conserve and open to functions (Figure 1.10).

Figure 1.10 – Rest house


Apart of that Existing election department office, Old Ellum gaha (Figure 1.11), Old

horse parking building and two cemetery monuments are have to conserve in a formal

way. The existing use and type of the buildings are showing Table no 1.1, Table no

1.2, Table no 1.3.

Figure 1.11 – Ellum Gaha

Source – Google image (18/10/2013)

Existing use and the condition survey

As a preliminary investigation, have identified, listed, taken conditions and have to

take photo graph for each property as follow.

Table no 1.1 – Existing use of the building (before relocate)

In No

Lot No

Institute name Condition Picture

No Present Situation

1 A1 Sothern Development Authority Normal A1-

1,A1-2

2 A2 Rural Economic Advancement Project Normal A2 SLRDC Occupy

3 A3 Port Authority Project Office Normal A3

4 A4 Security Hut Normal A4 10x10ft Newly constructed

5 B Vacant Land B To be vest UC

6 C1 Old Court Building Normal C1

7 C2 Handloom / Small industries Decrepit C2

8 C3 Election Office Decrepit C3

9 C4 Samurdhi Building Normal C4-

1,C4-2

10 C5 Planning Office Normal C5-

1,C5-2

11 C6 Canteen Decrepit C6-

1,C6-2

12 D Existing Well D UC

13 E Vacant Land E

14 F Hambantota Rest House Normal F-1,F-2 Rest House Occupy

15 G Hambantota Rest House Quarters Normal G Rest House Quarters Occupy

16 H Weather Science Department Quarters Normal H Occupy

17 I Mahanaga Building Normal I

18 J Vacant Land for vehicle park J

19

K1 Peoples Bank Normal K1-

1,K1-2 To be shift 30 officers Peoples Bank regional office Manager Quarters

20 K2 Security Room Normal K2 15x13 ft Newly constructed

21 K3 Vehicle Garrage Normal K3 28x32 ft Newly constructed

22 L Fishery Mucium ( small building ) Decrepit L District Musium

23 M Provincial Revenue Office Normal M

24 N Magistrate Quarters Normal N Occupy

25 O Water Tower Normal O Functioning

26 P1 Government Quarters Normal P1 Engineering Build Dep. Engineer

27 P2 Garrage Normal P2

28 P3 National child Protection Authority

Decrepit P3

29 P4

Co-ordinating Office of the chief Ministre

Normal P4

30 P5 Auditing Sub Office Decrepit P5



31 P6 Government Quarters Normal P6 Occupy

32 P7

Auditors general's Circuit Bangalow Normal P7 One family Occupy

33 Q1 The Department of Corporative Development Normal Q1

34 Q2 Land Use Planning Office Normal Q2

35 Q3 Social Security Office Normal Q3

36 Q4 Garage Decrepit Q4




40 Q8 Land Registry Normal Q8

41 Q9 District Secratariate Normal Q9-

1,Q9-2

42 Q10 Morter traffic Department Normal Q10

43 R1 Weather Department Normal R1 Office Functioning

44 R2 Demolished Old Building Demolised R2 Already demolished and Just

45 S Cycle and Mortor Cycle parking Place Decrepit S

46 T1 District Secratariate Quarters (new) Normal T1 GA Occupy

47 T2 District Secratariate Quarters (old) Decrepit T2-

1,T2-2 Stors

48 T3 Garrage Decrepit T3 Occupy

49 U Flag Post U

50 V1 Home affairs Circuit Bangallow Normal V1-

1,v1-2 Occupy

51 V2 Garrage Normal V2 Occupy

52 V3 Home affairs Circuit Bangallow Quarters Normal V3 Occupy

53 W Sea Safty Center and Quarters` Normal W Sea safety, O.I.C. Quarters (5 members) Occupy

54 X Vacant land X


Before start the conservation activities, all over the land had been occupied for

various purposes and were not followed any formal method to development. Time to

time as their requirements building constructions has been done using brick walls,

sheet roofing and artificial color cords. There weren‟t any landscaping area or

conservation reservations for the any monument of a building. According to the given

legend, permanent buildings going to renovate and reuse, some buildings are already

shifted and other rest of buildings to be shift to newly developed place.


55 Y District Judge Quarters Normal Y-1,Y-2 Occupy

56 Z1 Additional Secratory Quarters Normal Z1 Assistan G.A. Occupy

57 Z2 Garrage Normal Z2 Occupy

58 AA Assistant Election Commissioner Quarters Normal AA Occupy

59 AB1 Martellow Tower Decrepit AB1

60 AB2 Light House Decrepit AB2

61 AC Water Bord Quarters (NWSDB) Normal AC-1,AC-

2 Vacant

62 AD Nursers Quarters Decrepit AD

Nurses Quarters-Should be re-locate

63

OP4-1

District Engineering Department office. 40 Staff, (New office alredy given)

Sothern Provincial Office Circuit Bangallow Normal OP1 Occupy

District Engineering Department Office Quarters Normal OP2 Occupy

District Irrigation Engineer's Office Building 1

Decrepit

OP3-1,OP3-2

65x16 ft

District Irrigation Engineer's Office Building 2 Normal OP3-3 50x28 ft

District Irrigation Engineer's Office Building 3

Decrepit OP3-4 52x20 ft Vacant

District Irrigation Engineer's Office Garage 4

Decrepit OP3-5 15x15 ft

District Irrigation Engineer's Office Garage 5

Decrepit OP3-6 45x28 ft

District Engineering Service Department Normal OP4-1 120x30 ft Occupy

District Engineering Service Department Decrepit OP4-2 62x21 ft Occupy


Legend

Permanent

Already shifted

To be shifted

Conservation strategy

Proposed site is well functioned area in Hambantota due to more than 200 years it was

the District administrative complex and the entire district offices were there.

Unlimited population commuted to the location daily due to that surrounding area

developed based on that. Hambantota old town was established because of the daily

movement populations and residence government officers.

Application of the conservation strategy is little bit complex more than other projects

because, some applications and program may directly effect for the death of the city.

While the relocating existing uses to another area strategically have to imply other

suitable uses for the site to maintain and change the functions of the city. This

assignment have arrange as explaining Figure 1.12

Figure 1.12 – Conceptual plan for the project

Preparation Concept plane for

the project

Identification relevant

institutions

Arrange joint inspection

Identification of conservation

sites

Demolish other constructions

Preparation master plan for

Select relevant stake holders for above

purposes

Conservation

Renovation

Function

Reconstructions

Hand over relevant duties to

relevant institutions

Appointed monitoring team

Phased out total project

Implementation

Preparation concept plan for the overall project by the relevant institution is the first

important task for the handle successful project. In this situation as an organizing

agency urban development authority has involved to preparation conceptual plan for

the overall site area. In accordance to the relevancy, relevant institutions have to

identify for the individual involvement for relevant part. Arrange the join inspection

to identification of the historic, heritage and archeologically valued monuments,

buildings and sites of the area with following government institutions.

There are three types of ruins at their according to the collected data by the

preliminary survey.

01. Historical buildings

02. Historical sites

03. Historical monuments

All investigated ruins are included to above three categories and master plan have to

arrange according to the type of the ruins as follow.

01. Renovation and change of use

02. Renovation and keep as it is to exhibition purpose

03. Keep as it is without renovation and provide access to visitors

At the same time the team has to identify, the real situation of the buildings and ruins

as follow.

01. Real basic historical buildings

02. Not basic building but renovated added some parts to the basic building

03. No having any historical value and constructed recently

As a first part, empirically have to identify and demarcate which are the buildings

belongs to above categories. Following institutions should be included to the

committee or a team for the conservation.

Urban development Authority

Museum department

Archeology department

District secretariat office

Municipal council

Divisional secretariat office

Road development authority

According to the given instructions by relevant institutions and relevant professions,

UDA can preparation a master plan for the whole site. As a master plan provider

UDA have to manage and monitoring total product and other institutions have to do

related duties as follow (table No 1.4).

Table No 1.4 – work diversification and implementation plan

Institute duty

Urban development Authority Design, planning, Monitoring,

arrangements and finding funds

Museum department Consulting, Establish and promoting a

museum

Archeology department Consulting, conservation and maintain

District secretariat office Coordinating, arranging and help to

funding

Municipal council Coordinating, arranging, infrastructure

and help to funding

Divisional secretariat office Coordinating, arranging and help to

funding

Road development authority Estimating, consulting and Constructions

Project implementation

After this type of proper arrangement, constructions, renovations and demolition can

be arrange and table no 1.5 showing the allocated usages for each building.

In

No Institute name Activity Proposed use

1 Old Court Building Renovation gem & jewelry museum

2 Election Office Renovation gem & jewelry museum

3 Existing Well Renovation Public use

4 Hambantota Rest House Renovation tourism

5 Hambantota Rest House Quarters Renovation quarters

6 Meteorology quarters Renovation quarters

7 Fishery Museum ( small building ) Renovation Archeology office

8 Magistrate Quarters Renovation tourism

9 Water Tower Repair same

10 Government Quarters Renovation tourism

11 Government Quarters Renovation tourism

12 District Secretariat Renovation Museum

13 meteorology Department Repair same

14 District Secretariat Quarters (new) Renovation VIP tourism

15 District Secretariat Quarters (old) Renovation VIP tourism

16 Garage Renovation same

17 District Judge Quarters Renovation tourism

18 Additional Secretary Quarters Renovation tourism

19 Garage Renovation same

20 Martello Tower Renovation same

21 Light House Renovation same

22 Water Board Quarters (NWSDB) Renovation same

23 Nurses Quarters Renovation tourism

24 District Irrigation Office Renovation C.C.D museum

According to the table, reserved buildings are showing in figure 1.13 and identified

activities are going to implement to tourism attraction. After constructed Hambantota

administrative complex, all the government offices have shifted to the new town area

and old administrative complex has been renovated to conservation purposes in 2009.

Figure 1.13 – implementation plan


Old government agent office has allocated to museum department to establish a

museum for Hambantota after finish the conservation activities. Martello tower has

completed renovation activities and handed over to the department of Archeology to

maintain and expedite to the people. The renovation activities and landscaping works,

plantations are included and renovation is completed and landscaping is progress (see

figure – 1.14).

Figure 1.14 – Hambantota Martello Tower After renovation


In addition, this area has situated on hill top and with good view point to encourage

recreational activities of the area. Site has planned to facilitate all requirements to

attract tourism for the area while conserving of historical monuments which has

adjacent sites. To achieve this target, road network plan to modify according to the

identical design with special cross sections.

Proposed road Network construction design

Road network has planned to develop with special way, with lighting ducts, drainage,

paved carriage way and tree lines. Solar power Street lamps are planned to install

whole area and foot paths designed to visit everywhere of the site. Have planed to,

Special arrangement for parking areas, resting places and terrace with lighting and

easy access (figure 1.15).

Figure 1.15 – proposed Road network


There is no sufficient space for recreational activities of entire town of Hambantota.

Arrangement for construction of well recreational place with parking, walking foot

paths and other education and information activities is effective to reuse of heritage

sites by the people.

Planed to allocate sites for two tourist hotels in side of the site, according to the given

building guidelines developer have to construct hotels to attract tourist. Walking ways

and open tares will attract movement populations for the city centre. The plan has to

target to change the function of the buildings and monuments to attract population

avoid the isolating heritage area.

All these developments are making economic value for the area. Local and

international commuters will attract this development. Educational institutes, tourism

arrangers will target this place as a visiting place for the tour arrangement. Gem and

jewelries museum will attract business catchment for the site. There may be

exhibitions of the site. Every thing will make proper place for the all type of visitors

and will make better place for both team of visitors and residence of the area.

Bibliography

Development plan- 2008, urban development Authority, Hambantota

Culture and heritage integrated management plan, Nils Scheffler, 2009, thematic

report 4,

Leask, Anna / Fyall, Alan (2006): Managing World Heritage Sites. First Edition.

Oxford, Elevier Ltd

Hall, Michael C. / McArthur, Simon (1997): Integrated Heritage Management.

Principles and Practice.

Heritage conservation project

Documents

Transcript of Heritage conservation project