The Sri Lankan vernacular

Abstract

The spread of globalization and the development of modernity are creating a new global order in which tradition may be perceived as loosing its relevance. Thus majority of present day architecture has lost its momentum with tradition or its history. That remains to loose the sense of belonging to a place. In this context many progressive architects have investigated 'the contemporary relevance of the rich vernacular tradition'. They discovered the vernacular' as one source of tradition, which could be re-employed in the development of contemporary practice. It is evident that many of these architects have produced an innovative body of work that demonstrates meaningful reinterpretations of vernacular architecture. Most of them are related to the place and time that not all are happy hybrids of the aesthetic and the symbolic. Thus research aims to investigate such architect's works in order to identify the ways of re-employing or reinterpreting of the vernacular in the contemporary practice. Thus the author explains that a useful understanding of such interpretations will guide to develop a meaningful contemporary architectural practice in future.