26 June 2024
The Art of Heritance Kandalama
Heritance Kandalama is a design marvel in architecture, sustainability, and hospitality. As is the unique architecture of the hotel, distinct art pieces were commissioned by the architect, late Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa to compliment the hotel and its spatial spaces, blending European thought with island talent. He collaborated exclusively with some of Sri Lanka’s most renowned artists such as Ena De Silva and Laki Senanayake.
The Owl
The stunning sculpture in metal and copper, ‘the owl’ was a creation of Laki Senanayake, renowned local artist and close collaborator of Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa. The uniqueness of the piece lie in that the owl is either taking flight or swooping down, based on where you may look.
Wooden Dolls
The Wooden Dolls by Ena De Silva were crafted with the intention of delighting the mindful and discerning visitors from around the world who may visit the hotel. You will find varied versions, tall and small, scattered around the hotel. How many did you notice during your visit to Kandalama?
Kandalama Lake and the setting sun
This handloom wall cover was designed by celebrated local artist Ena De Silva to depict the Kandalama Lake and the fields during sunset.
Batik Ceiling, Royal Suite
The batik ceiling cover was designed by celebrated local artist Ena De Silva to depict the twelve zodiac signs and add magic and drama to the most coveted room in the hotel.
Mirror Wall of Kandalama
Depicting the mirror wall of Sigiriya, Bawa’s design for the hotel saw parts of the rock being utilized to support the structure of the hotel. This was also in line with his vision for the hotel – to build a space where man can cohabit with nature and build with minimum damage to the existing.
Kandalama and its surroundings
An original of celebrated Sri Lankan artist Ena De Silva, this batik captures the essence of the hotel’s surroundings. It depicts the freely roaming elephants and peacocks, the lush greenery, and the ever-present rising and setting sun visible from any vantage point at the hotel.
Toys of the Giants
Toys of the giants, the wooden elephant sculptures were designed by Ena De Silva. The pieces drew inspiration from the Trojans and the playful Indian thinking of a child’s toy meant to be pulled with a choir cord.
Doll House Doodles
The Doll House Doodle are simple imaginative pieces made with welded leftover pieces of unwanted metal for a touch of playfulness, created by renowned architect Channa Daswatte.
Geoffrey Bawa Special
The table and chair you see before you once belonged to the esteemed architect Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa. Positioned here as a tribute, they served as his creative hub during the inception and crafting of this very hotel, transforming a rugged expanse into a lavish retreat. Their placement pays homage to Bawa’s visionary spirit, ensuring every guest enjoys vistas that echo his boundless imagination.
Line Art, Dambulla Wing Corridor
On the corridor leading up to the Dambulla Wing, you will find line illustrations of varied animals carved on the floor.
This was added subsequently to aid mobility during the monsoon season, where the floor would otherwise be slippery.
However, when the difficulty of walking down this corridor during the monsoon was initially brought to the attention of Geoffrey Bawa by the project engineers, his simple answer was; “When you’re in the jungle and it rains, you get wet” – a simple statement, showcasing his attitude towards the design of Kandalama – a property that is to be explored as one would, in nature.
Reception Wall
The reception wall of the hotel feature handmade tile designs of four majestic peacocks. The colour gradient of the wall from left to right (when facing the wall) represents the passage of time from dawn to dusk.
Bathroom Treescape
The bathroom tiles in the guest rooms show varied treescapes in line drawing format. This was designed by Sumangala Jayathilake, a young architect of Bawa’s team. The story goes that in the original design, Sumangala is said to have incorporated names of each member of the design team in the illustrative manner of the line drawing. However, once these were shared to the printer, the staff at the printers had added some of their names in too, in the same line drawing format.
The iconic ‘ක’ logo
Projects and hotels typically adopted Western-sounding names in the 1990s. However, Kandalama Hotel boldly departed from this convention by embracing a Sinhala name, complete with a logo prominently featuring the ‘ක’ character from the Sinhala alphabet. This move not only marked a pioneering cultural statement but also set a precedent for future developments in the region. This legendary logo is said to have been designed by Sumangala Jayathilake, a young architect of Bawa’s team.
The genesis of the name: Kandalama Hotel
The genesis of the name ‘Kandalama Hotel’ was born from the crucibles of the protests. In 1992/1993 period, when many a protests and opposition was raised against the hotel project, the media came to refer to the hotel as ‘Kandalama Hotel’ stemming from its proximity to the Kandalama Lake. In truth, the hotel’s location is away from the Kandalama village and is in Pahala Erauwala. When it was time to open the hotel, the management decided to adapt the name coined by protesters and accepted by villagers and global audiences alike: Kandalama Hotel.
A Masterpiece of Views
Arguably the hotel’s finest artwork is its breathtaking views. Within the minimalist interiors, the lush blues and greens are strikingly framed by black steel, captivating onlookers just as Geoffrey Bawa, the visionary behind Heritance Kandalama’s design, intended.
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