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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Foundation stone laid for Colombo Lotus Tower

The Minister of Economic Affairs, Hon Basil Rajapaksa laid the foundation stone to construct the Colombo Lotus Tower, a multi-functional Telecommunication Tower today (Jan 20).

The tower will be constructed at the Beire Lake waterfront and alongside a part of D R Wijewardene Mawatha. The 350 meters tall Tower is being built under the auspices of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) on a plot of land covering 3.06 hectares.

When this is completed it will be a striking city symbol and an important landmark by becoming the tallest Tower in South Asia. This is a free standing tower with a four-storey high podium; a concrete tower shaft of moderate diameter; eight storied tower head; and a steel framed antennae mast surmounted at the top.

The Tower will provide for telecommunication and leisure activities, and will facilitate the relaying of at least 50 separate broadcasting and telecasting services, provide facilities for about 20 service providers in telecommunication relay defence signals and indirectly contribute to the removal of high powered TV and FM antennas placed on top of various buildings in the Colombo city.

The tower podium will also house a telecommunication museum, food courts, administrative offices exhibition spaces and corresponding amenities and tower shaft will be a hollow concrete cylinder accommodating high-speed lifts and stairs for vertical circulations and ducts for various type of building services.

The tower head will comprise eight floor levels accommodating an Observation Deck, Revolving Restaurant, and Banquet Hall for 1000 guests as well as two floors of super luxury hotel accommodation.

The total estimated cost of the project is USD 104.3 million.

The TRCSL will finance and implement the project, with technical assistance obtained from the Faculty of Architecture University of Moratuwa. A team of consultants led by Emeritus Prof. Nimal De Silva, Prof. Samitha Manawadu and Prof. Chithra Weddikkara have provided professional advice on designing cost planning and cost control of the project.

A Chinese conglomerate comprising China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation (CEIEC) and Aerospace Long-March International Trade Co. Ltd (ALIT) will undertake the project on a turnkey basis according to the concept and preliminary design done by local experts.

Welcome speech of the inauguration ceremony was done by Chairman of TRCSL and Secretary to HE the President, Mr. Lalith Weerathunga. Minister of Media and Information Hon Keheliya Rabukwella, and President of China National Electronic Imp and Exp Corporation Mr. Chen Xu and a large gathering were also present at the event.


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