People’s Leasing & Finance PLC Office
The thirteen storey branch office located in a flourishing commercial zone along the main Havelock Road close to the vibrant landmark of Thunmulla Junction, was conceived as a commercial office that combines elaborate structural elements with environmentally friendly features and well curated interiors in line with the functional requirements of the client.
A carefully composed arrangement of solids and glazed infill form a vibrant, patterned front façade that responds to the lively main road. The defining feature of the building, designed exclusively based on the client’s request, is its glazed bubble elevator that runs along the entire height of the structure providing broad views of the Colombo skyline and the Indian Ocean. Sourced directly from Japan, it is the only curved-glass, precision-built lift of this scale and nature currently found in Sri Lanka.
The zoning of the building allows the clear demarcation of service areas by placing the vertical circulation cores, building services, corridors and rest rooms along the side blind wall, set away from the offices and public areas. Strategically positioned windows along the length and the breadth of the walls ensure that natural daylight reaches all office areas on every floor. The tilt-turn windows also facilitate natural ventilation in the absence of artificial air conditioning.
Slender louvres, placed on the side façade for weather protection, are fixed atop aesthetically positioned external planters to lend the surface a patterned look while also allowing creepers to grow into a living green wall. A drip-irrigation system is designed in place to hydrate the vines.
The warm inner spaces are composed of sizeable floor areas with no interference from columns or partitioning and affords privacy and a sense of domain to staff while simultaneously creating spaces that are open, hospitable and customer friendly. Screens and tempered, translucent glass are used for partitions without interfering with the visual connectivity. Subtle use of colour and thoughtful decorative elements accentuated with custom-made wallpaper at the entrance lobby and public areas of the corporate levels have added a unique ambience to the space.
Aside from the corporate levels, the building also accommodates a functional roof terrace comprising of an entertainment area, an upper-level VIP bar and a landscaped patio. Trees and bushes skirt the perimeter and cement benches positioned just inside the green area provide outdoor seating.
