colombo international financial city
Colombo International Financial City - Sri Lanka
Weitzman School of Design
- Advanced Research Studio - University of Pennsylvania
Dept of Architecture
critics: Cecil Balmond, Ezio Blasetti
teaching assistant:
Andrew Busmire
In the period between 2002 and 2004, during a temporary ceasefire agreement of the Sri Lankan Civil War, the prime minister of Sri Lanka and the UNP government initiated a study, as a part of the initial version of the Megapolis Development Plan, for a land reclamation new city at the waterfront of Colombo. The 25 year long war continued until 2009 with tragic hardships for the population, the environment and the economy. The construction of the project was finally launched on 17 September 2014 by Sri-Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Chinese President Xi Jinping. The new development, “Colombo International Financial City”, will be a special financial zone, governed by its own Legal System, and a pivot point along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
The development consists a total of 360 hectares and it is expected to be fully completed by 2041. The site is about the same size as central
London and it is expected to rival cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai. The development includes 110 acres of public parks and 300 acres for recreation, among residential and business areas. The land reclamation will be completed by the first quarter of this year. The total investment is approximated at 15 billion usd. Last year, SOM won the international competition for the design of the financial zone, which will be the first phase of the manifestation of the new city. The master plan includes five precincts; Central Park Living with a channel and open areas, Financial District, International Island, The Marina and Island Living.
The studio will travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Once in Colombo, we will be hosted by Balmond Studio. We will visit the site and conduct extensive survey. The studio will meet with investors, government officials in the ‘Tripartite Agreement’ which includes the Ministry of Megalopolis and Western Development, the Urban Development Authority and the CHEC Port City Colombo, to discuss the current plan of development. We will also meet with the architects, engineers and consultants of the project. Balmond Studio in Colombo is one of the design firms of the development and it is conveniently located close to the site. We will work closely with the designers and principals of the project; their intimate understanding of the organizational, infrastructural and economic challenges of the project will be an invaluable asset to our research.