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| Independence Memorial Hall | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location in greater Colombo | |
| Alternative names | Independence Commemoration Hall |
| General information | |
| Location | Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 6°54′16.5″N79°52′02.2″E / 6.904583°N 79.867278°E /6.904583; 79.867278 |
| Construction started | 4 February 1949[1] |
| Completed | 1953 |
| Owner | Ministry of Cultural Affairs |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 930 m2 (10,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Tom Neville Wynne-Jones |
| Other designers | Shirley D’Alwis |
Independence Memorial Hall (also known asIndependence Commemoration Hall) is anational monument inSri Lanka built for the commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from British rule, with the restoration of full governing responsibility[2] to a Ceylonese-elected legislature on 4 February 1948. It is located in Independence Square (formerlyTorrington Square) in theCinnamon Gardens, Colombo. It also houses theIndependence Memorial Museum.
The monument was built at the location where the formal ceremony marking the start of self-rule, with the opening of the first parliament byPrince Henry, Duke of Gloucester occurred at a special podium on 4 February 1948.
Located at the head of the monument is the statue of the first prime minister of the countryRt. Hon.Don Stephen Senanayake "The Father of the Nation". Most of the annual National Independence Day celebrations have been held here. Apart from being a monument, it served as the ceremonial assembly hall for theSenate of Ceylon and theHouse of Representatives of Ceylon until the parliament was moved to the new parliament complex. Currently it is the venue for religious events and annual national day celebrations.
The building was designed by a group of eight notable architects led byTom Neville Wynne-JonesCBE,[3][4] and included F. H. Billimoria, Shirley de Alwis,Oliver Weerasinghe,Homi Billimoria,Justin Samarasekera, and M. B. Morina. The design of the building is based on theMagul Maduwa (Celebration Hall), the Royal audience hall of theKingdom of Kandy the last native kingdom of the island, where on 5 March 1815 theKandyan Convention was signed between the British and the Kandyian Chieftains (Radalas) ending theKingdom of Kandy.
The Memorial Hall was featured as a pit stop on the4th season ofThe Amazing Race Asia, the1st season ofThe Amazing Race Australia, and thesecond season of theIsraeli edition ofThe Amazing Race.[5]
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