Colombo Lotus Tower

Lotus Tower, Colombo

Lotus Tower Conceptual drawing of the completed tower
General information
Status Under-Construction
Type Observation, Digital Terrestrial Television ISDB-T, telecommunications, Tourist attraction, commercial use
Location Colombo, Sri Lanka
Coordinates 06°55′37.1″N 79°51′29.8″E / 6.926972°N 79.858278°ECoordinates: 06°55′37.1″N 79°51′29.8″E / 6.926972°N 79.858278°E
Completed 2015
Height
Antenna spire 350 m (1,148.3 ft)
Technical details
Lifts/elevators 7

The Lotus Tower (or Colombo Lotus Tower) is a tower under construction with a height of 350 metres, located in Colombo, Sri Lanka.[1] It was first proposed to be built in Peliyagoda Town but later the Government of Sri Lanka decided to shift the location.[2] The lotus-shaped tower will be used for communication, observation and other leisure facilities, with construction costing $104.3 million, funded by EXIM Bank of Peoples' Republic of China.[3] It currently stands at 100m and is visible throughout Colombo and its suburbs.

Location

After an initial decision to construct the tower within the confines of a suburb of the country's capital city of Colombo, Sri Lanka's government announced their plans to shift the location to the heart of the city. The tower's new location is on the waterfront of the city's picturesque Beira Lake.

Construction

With the witness of the President of Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), the Secretary of the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry, the Presidents of CEIEC and ALIT signed the contract with Mr. Anusha Palpita, the Director General of TRCSL, for the project on the 3rd of January 2012.[4]

Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, M.P. and the Minister of Economic Affairs, laid the foundation stone at the site earmarked for the construction of the Colombo Lotus Tower on January 20, 2012 in the presence of a distinguished gathering. The site is located at the Beira Lake waterfront and alongside a part of the D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo 10.[5]

As of December 2014, the tower's construction has crossed the 125m milestone.

Design & Functions

The design of this building is inspired by the Lotus flower. The lotus symbolizes purity within Sri Lankan culture, and is also said to symbolize the country's flourishing development. The tower base is inspired by the lotus throne and will also be formed by two inverted trapezoidal. The tower's color is planned to alternate between pink and light yellow by smooth transition- an effect achieved by coating the glass.

The tower will be 350m tall and will be spread over 30,600 square metres floor area.[6]

Lotus Tower's main revenue sources will be tourism and antenna leasing. It will function as a radio and television broadcasting antenna ISDB-T and proposed DVB-T2 support structure for 50 television services and 20 telecommunication service providers, and will house a variety of tourist attractions.

The tower will have 4 entrances, with two being used as VIP (distinguished guests and state leaders) entrances. A telecommunications museum and restaurant will be located on the ground floor. The tower podium will consist of 6 floors. The first floor of the podium will accommodate a museum and 2 exhibition halls. The second floor will be utilized for several conference halls with seating space in excess of 400 people. Restaurants, supermarkets and food courts will be situated in the 3rd floor. A 1000-seat auditorium will be located on the 4th floor, also used as a ballroom. The fifth floor will include luxury hotel rooms, large ballrooms, with the seventh floor hosting an observation gallery. The landscaping is planned in the form of a large water park.[7][8]

Transport Hub

The Colombo Monorail which is a proposed monorail system in Colombo and the BRT system will converge at a common 'multi-modal hub' located in close proximity to the Lotus tower, making the tower a major city centre.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Foundation stone laid for Lotus Tower".
  2. ↑ "Colombo to get 350m high multifunctional communication tower soon". Sunday Times. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Sri Lankan version of Rs. 11bn Eiffel tower mooted". Asian Tribune News. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  4. ↑ CEIEC Signed the Contract of Colombo Lotus Tower Project, CEIEC.com News. Retrieved January 03, 2012
  5. ↑ Colombo Lotus Tower – Minister Basil Rajapakse Lays Foundation Stone, TRCSL Press. Retrieved January 20, 2012
  6. ↑ "Lotus Tower in Colombo". Akathy. Retrieved January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Tallest in South Asia". Development LK. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Colombo Lotus Tower Project Contract Signing Ceremony". TRCSL Press. Retrieved January 20, 2012.