Historical Timber Structures in Sri Lanka: A Review on Pekada, Kenimandala and Madol-kurupawa

Abstract

History of building constructions in Sri Lanka goes back to pre-Christian era. Among the many building types, historical records indicate the presence of timber made buildings since this early period. Many of these buildings are either totally destroyed by now or in ruined state. However, some building types in which timber has been extensively used as construction material and were constructed during medieval times are still in preserved order. Some elements in these buildings are alien to current construction methodologies. Studies on them in structural perspectives would enable to conjecture the early forms of Sri Lankan buildings as well as to provide some alternative structural designs. Study on two such elements, widely used in medieval timber buildings in Sri Lanka, constitutes the core theme of this paper.