The Galle Fort is a paragon of historical and architectural consequence, where the echoes of centuries past interlock with the vivacious rhythm of the present in all grandeur. In the curation of ARTRA Magazine’s Galle Fort in the Contemporary Edition 66 (2024), we conversed with the revered architect Channa Daswatte, who is also the former Chairperson of the Galle Heritage Foundation on the history and architectural legacy of the Galle Fort to explore the figures, functions and foibles of the space. Delving into the cultural nuances, we uncover the key characteristics that define the Fort elaborating upon its legacy and shifting personalities.

Q | The Galle Fort is a place of heritage and historicity characterized by the architecture and its people both past and present. If you were to recognize universal figures of the Galle Fort, who would they be and why?

A | Over the years there have been many people who have had positive and negative influences on the Fort. Many historically important personalities have occupied it over the years. In my memory, Nesta Brohier, the last owner of the New Oriental Hotel was an especially colourful figure. There of course are many others of which the book Galle as Quiet as Asleep (1993) by Norah Roberts documents.

Q | In your opinion, what are some of the most underrated influences that characterize the unique persona and historical significance of the Galle Fort?

A | In my opinion, it is the people of the Fort who are most underrated, often by themselves as they move away from the Fort due to economic pressures. I believe it is inevitable that the Fort will lose its diversity of people and will very soon be occupied by a monoculture of tourism related personalities and activities.

Q | The first two Forts constructed in Sri Lanka are recorded to be Vijithapura and Mapagala. With that in mind, and perhaps a few others - what are the differing characteristics between the Forts constructed by the kings of ancient Sri Lanka and those of the colonizers, in your opinion?

A | The kings of Ceylon constructed Forts mostly to protect themselves from internal rebellion. Remember, over the years several families such as the Lambakhannas and Moriyas vied for the throne. On the other hand, the colonizers who arrived from outside built forts to control the economics of the country, and designed them primarily to retreat until reinforcements came from outside. The seas allowed them to arrive at ease should there be any battle, steered by the locals to leave occupied territories. As by the 16th Century after wrestling with the Arab and Chinese traders to gain power, the seas were under their control.

Hence many of the Forts are located across the seacoasts. The occasional small Fort built by the Dutch such as the well preserved Katuwana Fort, were more like staging posts for forays into the Kandyan kingdom which remained independent while the coastal provinces had been consolidated under colonial rule. Of course, the design of the Forts made by the colonial powers, especially the Dutch, were based on very scientific studies of the art of war from Forts, which was a highly developed field in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Q | What are the idiosyncratic architectural elements of the Galle Fort that distinguish it/in comparison to Forts all over the world?

A | In my opinion, the Galle Fort is a classic design of a 17th century European Fort. It is a result of careful study and consideration of the arts of war and construction of Forts. The Galle Fort is a classic of its kind and can be compared to a first such as Evora in Portugal. Of course it has been adapted to its particular location, but as Forts of the period go, I don’t believe it has any special idiosyncrasies as such.

Q | In your opinion, what are the most significant buildings/artifacts within the Galle Fort, and why?

A | The walls of the Fort are possibly the most important artifact of the Fort. Without them a Fort cannot exist. A close second for me would be the now unfortunately defunct rainwater disposal system, often mistakenly identified as a sewage system. This allowed the rapid disposal of the heavy monsoon showers that hit the area, making the city livable even

through the rainy season. The Maritime Museum used to be a cinnamon warehouse, and thus is also a very important building as it represented the main reason why we were colonized. The extracting of an economically profitable product for the colonials! Of course every building in the Fort once told a story that became a part of its rich history, so in the end every one of them was, and continues to be important.

Q | Through the years, and with specific reference to the current context, how have you found the Galle Fort being adaptively reused and taking on multiple meanings and functions?

A | Adaptive reuse is a term that in Galle has been used very loosely. To adapt is not to rebuild. Unfortunately many of the buildings in the Fort are now rebuilt to the imagination of what a ‘Dutch’ building might look like, often erasing later histories such as the Art Deco and even modern. While some later buildings especially built after the 1970’s may be worth considering to be rebuilt, care should have been taken through a careful analysis of the street elevations of how this should have happened.

The other major issue that could affect the Fort as an important historic experience is that almost every building is a shop or a hotel with no other activities for visitors to engage with. A few more museums, including perhaps a House Museum showing what life might have been at different periods in history, or museums of colonial crafts, that like lace and Cells of the Black Fort furniture is now very much part of local culture, all of these would enhance the total experience of the Fort, instead of it becoming a place to work on the relative price of sapphires in different shops!

Channa Daswatte graduated from the University of Moratuwa in 1987 and worked in the practice of C. Anjalendran. He subsequently followed a Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture at University College London, 1990, followed by a Master of Architecture in Advanced Architectural Studies from the University of London in 1991. After graduation he joined the Architectural Consultancy of Geoffrey Bawa and was involved in several projects including the Kandalama Hotel and the designs for a new official residence for the President of Sri Lanka. Currently, Channa is a partner of MICD Associates and Chairperson of the Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trusts. Notably, as the former Chair of the Galle Heritage Foundation, he was also involved in the management and maintenance of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Galle Fort.