This issue of Domus Sri Lanka includes the Fountains of the two suns in the Port of Ancona in Italy, where the important lesson to be learnt from this project is the manner in which the “landscape was approached with modesty and subtlety”. This is a vital aspect that needs to be taken into consideration when designing a building, landscaping and in urban planning.
The project from Sri Lanka is the People’s Leasing and Finance (PLC) in Colombo. It is an office building that combines elaborate structural elements with environmentally-friendly features and well curated interiors in line with the functional requirements of PLC. The building was created by Design Group 5 International, the defining feature of this structure designed exclusively based on the PLC’s request, is its bubble elevator sourced from Japan.
Confetti takes an analytical look at teaching architecture in Europe, where Spanish architect Francisco Mangado, following Carlo Olmo’s notes on university teaching in Italy, assesses the situation in Europe. A Way of Working, describes the manner in which “Giulio Iacchetti believes that good design is an act of disobedience, and that a designer’s duty is to give objects dignity”. He refers to himself as being a professional amateur.
In Feedback, Domus Sri Lanka features Moratuwa, a suburb of Colombo that is heaped with colonial as well as religious architectures that reflects its coastal heritage. While Moratuwa proudly displays its heritage of carpentry, the buildings also reflect modernity as well as the changing requirements of the population that call this suburb their home.