Old Parliament Building, Colombo, Legislative building in Fort, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Old Parliament Building is a neoclassical stone building in Fort, Colombo, with a long colonnaded facade: a solid lower storey with deep rectangular windows, a row of tall columns above, and a flat roofline topped by a balustrade. The central section rises higher and is crowned by a triangular pediment with a carved emblem. Broad steps lead to a central entrance with a large arched opening.

Designed by Austin Woodeson after Sir Henry McCallum's proposal, the building opened on 29 January 1930 under Governor Sir Herbert Stanley. The State Council met here from 1931 to 1947, then the House of Representatives, the National State Assembly from 1972, and the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 1977. Parliament moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte in 1983, after which the Presidential Secretariat took over.

The emblem on the pediment has changed with the state: the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom until 1948, then the arms of the Dominion of Ceylon, and since 1972 those of the Republic of Sri Lanka. In the front garden stand bronze statues of D. S. Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, Sir John Kotalawela and Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan.

You can view the exterior and surrounding gardens daily, which offers a free overview of the architecture. For access to interior spaces, you need to contact local authorities in advance since it is not open for casual visitors.

The emblem in the pediment has changed three times: the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom until 1948, the arms of the Dominion of Ceylon until 1972, and since then the arms of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Bronze statues of D. S. Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, John Kotelawala and Ponnambalam Ramanathan stand in the front garden.