Impact of dutch forts on their urban context

Abstract

The strategic locations of the Dutch Forts were built on an urban set-up based on ease of collection and export of spices, elephant tusks and other commodities. These points developed into urban areas centred around this focal activity. Currently even though they are in ruins or part ruins, they still stand in an urban setting which has developed around the said fortification since its inception. Eg: Jaffna, Mannar, Batticaloa. This paper looks at how the importance of these are still within an urban context and how they have shifted use from a defence post to a community use; administration, pleasure, living or tourism. It was built initially to keep the locals community away and now it is adapted to bring the community in. The socio-cultural change deals with how the colonisers dominated the fortifications and how currently the locals use it to solve their own problems and for emergencies. This study was carried out to develop a comprehensive understanding of the fortifications, its related socio-culture pertaining to the people and its locality during the time of colonial rule. Along with how adaptive reuse has been taken into consideration during conservation of these monuments for the betterment of the city it is in. The objective of this study was to document the reuse of the colonial forts on the coastal belt of Sri Lanka and assess whether the adapted reuse is sustainable.