Presidential Secretariat

Known to most Sri Lankans as the 'old Parliament', the Presidential Secretariat building has served many functions in its time. Originally intended to house the 49-member Legislative Council, a body of mostly elected representatives advising the British Governor, it became Independent Ceylon's first House of Parliament in 1947, with its debating chamber being modified to accommodate 101 members. As the number of parliamentarians kept increasing, the premises proved too small and a new Parliament was built at Kotte in 1977. The Secretariat building, with its double-height Ionic columns and louring portico, is a typical example of the Neoclassical style popular among Western architects between the two world wars.