[Anjalendran is a grand son of the late Suntharalingam QC, who was a well -known Tamil politician. This article reminded me of my days as one of his Field Architecture students at the University of Moratuwa. It may have been quite possible that the Asoka hotel in Jaffna is one of his earliest creations. - Editor, Pathivukal]

Some call him the architect of Sri Lanka or the next big thing after Geoffrey Bawa but I doubt Anjalendran gives a damn about the labels. Sitting in his home, a place where he can be himself and clad in a sarong he is too busy doing things the way he wants. The Nation met him last week to talk about his philosophy in life ‘do not try to save the world, but try and perhaps make a few people around you happy’ and architecture ‘be simple, less pretentious and build for the less rich’ and also the book Anjalendran: The architect of Sri Lanka by David Robson.

Q: Your childhood seemed quite fascinating, I have been told that you grew up in the households of Doric de Souza and Vivian and Leslie Gunawardane?

A: Well I would say I had a very normal childhood, as many of my friends I went to Royal, although I was not thoroughly enamoured with studies, I did other kinds of activities. Well but as luck would have it, I grew up in two Trotskyites households, Doric de Souza’s and Leslie and Vivian Gunawardane’s, I grew up with their daughters. And these individuals were very socially conscious and were very down-to- earth. They were not pretentious and thought about the common man and about equality. And I think that what I was exposed to influenced me and changed my world view and living down to earth and these came from living close to these people. Even in my own household ,my mother was involved in charity. And for us education was the most important thing, second was to be a professional rather than a businessman, thirdly to help the community rather than oneself. The basic philosophy of Hinduism is that you act without self merit. And also activities like dancing and paper folding and music played a major role in my architecture. While dancing gave me a sense of space, paper folding, which is in essence is creating something out of nothing I think also helped me in my future career. My philosophy in architecture is ‘be simple, less pretentious and build for the less rich.” And I think what I was exposed to as a child played a great role in shaping this view.

Q: You were named after a dance devoted to Lord Shiva and you said you were every much into dancing as a kid. Are you still into Indian dancing?

A: Yes, I am. But for a time I did not dance at all because of work but a few years ago my doctor told me that I had cholesterol and high blood sugar and he wanted me to join a gym. I was not every keen about this but after thinking about it I called my dancing teacher 40 years ago and I said will you take me back. He accepted and now I do that twice a week. I really like the activity but also I like the music and it also gives me a chance to improve my Tamil, a language that I am not really good at although I am one.

Q: After graduating from the University of Moratuwa with a BSc in Architecture, you moved to the University College of London where you obtained a Diploma and Master’s degree in Architecture where you met the legendary Geoffrey Bawa?

A: Well, I had met him before at university in Moratuwa. His tall figure was some what familiar site at the University but I really did not speak to him much. But my real acquaintance with Geoffrey begins when I went to England in 1974, to do higher studies. Geoffrey also came to London at that time and I bumped into him one day at the University. That was the first time we really had a conversation, after that we met often and went to lunch, theatre and film, things that we were not able to do in Sri Lanka. When I came back I worked for him for two years and I also worked for two and a half years for Surath Wickremasinghe. But I was not really sure of what I wanted to do and Geoffrey understood that and told me “why don’t you go and do on your own. I will help you with one or two jobs.” Geoffrey has been the biggest influence of my life and his garden Lunuganga is the site that inspires me the most and I used to spend most weekends there with Geoffrey between 1983 and 1992.The thing is a lot of my values come from Geoffrey and he is the guy who took away the pretentiousness from architecture. He thought that architecture was a background to life and not what’s in your face. After JR opened up the economy a lot of new money came in and with that a lot of pretentiousness and architecture has moved from the functional to the decorative again but I would like to hold on to the notion that a building should be functional above all.

Q: Most of your houses are built around a tree/s and does this also comes from Bawa’s appreciation of nature?

A: The first house I designed was for Dr Senake Bandaranayake and his wife Manel Fonseka and when I went to the site I saw three magnificent trees, including a magnificent mango tree, and I immediately decided that these trees had to be accommodated within the building. I would always choose to build the building around a tree than to destroy it and that is also the philosophy of Geoffrey. Geoffrey who would always choose a tree over a building any day, he always thought that the house should always play a background for the tree. But then again this is not only a choice of aesthetics; this is also based on practical reasons. Both of us believe in functionality and a tree acts as a natural air conditioner. Its does not guzzles down energy and it gives character to a site, making it unique.

Q: You also have an extensive collection of paintings and sculpture?

A: I always liked art and it has been a part of my life from the beginning. And in all the houses I design art and craft plays a major role and I must admit I’m very much influenced by Geoffrey in this respect too. Geoffrey’s buildings were not decorated and art and crafts were a major part of his architecture. People who had their houses designed by Geoffrey spent money on paintings and sculpture and I think this is how Barbara Sansoni and Ena de Silva happened. Anyway buying art is very important and I think by buying art we encourage and nourish a new generation of artists. Although I bought my paintings from people like Laki Senanayake now I buy a lot of art from a much younger generation, for example Jagath Weerasinghe and also recently I bought a set of ‘Bullets’ by Kusal Gunesekara, most of these younger artists use art as a reflection of society, something an architect would never do. It’s almost the antithesis of architecture. Unfortunately a lot of professionals including architects would buy is a big car when they get hold of some money but I would spend that money on art. I can buy that many paintings and I think it will encourage young artists, another way of continuing society. And there are dozens of paintings and sculpture and hundreds of curiosities in my house and a specific chapter is reserved for all these in the book “Anjalendran – Architect of Sri Lanka.”

Q: Talking about David Robson’s Anjalendran – Architect of Sri Lanka.” How has the response been? Did it bring any new work?

A: (Laughing) not really, well I got a call last week about a project from someone who has not seen the book. But the response has been excellent, when the book came out Vijitha Yapa bought 1000 copies of the book and in the last month or so they tell me they have sold over 800 copies, that very good for Sri Lanka and I when I went to Singapore for the launch of the book at the Singapore architects festival, the book was very well displayed. The book still hasn’t gone to Europe and USA, but the company that published it, Periplus, is an aggressive distributor. Whenever a new book is published they always display it prominently at book stores. Only after a month, the book has already covered the costs, I guess its going to be good. I’m surprised and glad. And as luck would have it the timing of this book is perfect. It appears that this notion of low energy houses which have an aesthetic appeal has become fashionable in world. If you look at the Royal Institute of British Architects they are promoting the notion of energy conscious architecture. they recommend things that a building like my house does automatically, the thing is that if you focus on functional architecture in a developing country it automatically becomes energy conscious. The traditional notion is that architecture is for the rich people, if you look at any book of this sort you will see a lot of corporate buildings and houses of multi billionnaire, but this book is not like that, it shows a lot of low budget projects, orphanages, low budget NGOs and this makes the book very different.

Q: You can’t put everything in a book, what did you omit?

A: I have done around 120 projects as an independent architect and David saw 90% of the sites and basically the book showcases a variety of my work. Work that would have relevance to the people who would look at the book and by and large I like it, it just shows that down to earth architecture can be done for ordinary people.

Q: You have said that you will not build a house that you will never live in?

A: Yes, I will never design a house that I will not live in, that comes from my values. And I believe that we can create functional architecture that is also aesthetically pleasing for a low budget, it takes a bit of effort and planning but it can be achieved. For example if you take the SOS villages that I designed they are rather functional things but they don’t forget aesthetics. I have lived in those SOS buildings till we built the guest houses, which we built last and I would have no problem living in one of these houses for life. And it’s the same with the housing scheme I did for cinnamon workers in Mirissa.

Q: You are one of the best architects we have but you do some work for free. Why would you do such a thing?

A: Number one is that this is not a business number two is that there is a code of conduct among architects, I have to charge a certain amount/percentage, so that I don’t undercut at another. But I’m allowed to do that free. But in Asia transactions are not always about money, we also deal in favours.

Q: What’s your favourite project?

A: Well I would like to say what ever I do currently is my favourite project. But really that is a lot of bull, if I really have to make a choice its the house I live in, because I designed it in a very difficult time in my life, I was moving out from my ancestral home, I didn’t get a loan, its in a way a symbol of a new way of life for me. I’m very content living here, it has given me a space to be myself. Mirissa, there is a building by Bawa, by Carry Hill and there are many house/villas of the expats and I wanted to see what I can do. I told the owner that I will not do a fashion house but something interesting,

Q: You are one of the few Tamil architects we have. As a lecturer at the Colombo School of Architecture do you see that changing, are there a lot of Tamil students?

A: No, there are not many Tamil students. There are quite a number of Muslim students though, if you take a batch of 4o about four are Muslims and only one Tamil. Its not surprising because many people who would have been interested in a subject like architecture left Sri Lanka in the 80s.

Q: Over the years, you have taught many, at the Colombo School of Architecture, at the University of Moratuwa as well as at your atelier at home?

A: My assistants are usually students who are most of the time first year or second year, this becomes a training ground. They get a good training and when they leave they can apply for courses anywhere. But most importantly I find that the mistakes they tend to make are the mistakes made by the people on site would do. In the last 20 years around 60 students have passed here and they have done very very well, initially my assistants like Channa Deswatta, Anila de Mel all worked for Geoffrey Bawa after they finished their masters. And in his last 10 years Geoffrey took, all the Sri Lankans who worked for me were the ones recommended by me. Now most of them work for others but I know that they really have no problem, despite the fact that at the moment most architects don’t have much projects, some don’t even work full time, but all the students who worked for me are doing good . also teaching helps me complement my thought process and these students I taught in mid 80s are very happy. I hope David will do another book called generation three that focusses on students.

Q: Finally what are your future plans?

A: To be as I am as long as I can. And not change too much.

Courtesy: http://www.nation.lk/2009/11/08/eyefea3.htm

Living: Architect of Sri Lanka

2009/09/04

Su Aziz

Chelvadurai Anjalendran’s work philosophy is matched by that of his life. SU AZIZ writes.

WHEN you practise a philosophy of “be simple, less pretentious and build for the less rich” in architecture, your humbleness is bound to be noticed. And revered.

Chelvadurai Anjalendran, who is named after a dance devoted to Lord Shiva, was born in 1951 and now lives in Battaramulla, a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A keen performer of traditional Indian dance, he is, today, dubbed “architect of Sri Lanka”.

Having studied architecture in both Sri Lanka and England, Chelvadurai worked under Geoffrey Bawa (Sri Lanka’s world-renowned architect whose designs are famous for working around the environs) for a few years. Geoffrey became his inspiration.

“I designed my first house in 1979,” he recalls. “It was for Dr Senake Bandaranayake and his wife Manel Fonseka. Senake was an archaeologist and had written his thesis on the superstructures of ancient monastic buildings. He was keen on the discipline and geometry of gabled roofs around a courtyard.”

Anjalendran in a dance pose.

As Chelvadurai fondles his dog’s ears, he adds: “There were three trees on the site, including a spectacular mango tree, which had to be accommodated within such a roof, on a relatively small site.”

Thus began a house, a relationship with trees and a friendship which has lasted until today.

“Although they moved into an apartment in 1997, I still see them at least once a week.”

To date, Chelvadurai has designed some 120 buildings.

“Quite a few houses have been designed for free for close friends and relations,” he says with a smile,

And his favourite?

“I guess my own house. Built in 1993, around a courtyard. It’s tent-like space seems to contain my contradictions and anxieties of life.”

How about the most challenging?

“I guess Mount Cinnamon at Mirissa for Miles Young,” he replies thoughtfully.

“There was much design precedence. Geoffrey had designed his last ‘line in a landscape’ — the Jayawardena House nearby.

“And Kerry Hill (another famous architect) had his own renovated house in Galle and was renovating the Amangalle and building afresh the Amanwella in Tangalle.

“There was also a lot of derivative ‘Sri Lankan style’ among the expatriates which was the fashion. One wondered whether one could do something different and perhaps original?”

With his architectural style in tandem with his architectural philosophy, Chelvadurai’s life philosophy is just as practical.

“Do not try to save the world, but try and perhaps make a few people happy. However, there is a quotation by Andre Gide which is more apt,” he says, squinting to remember. He quotes: “You knew me well, if you thought that by its very excess virtue would entice me, that arduous and challenging paths lure me, that senseless pursuits appeal to me, and that a little folly is necessary for the satisfaction of my pride.” He finishes with a nod.

A simple person by nature, Chelvadurai works from home and is not burdened by modern technology such as a mobile telephone.

“For me, these are distractions from enjoying the realities of a simple life. I like going on site and correcting ongoing work, rather than hold a drawing sacred. I like meeting people, rather than talking to them over the phone, particularly about building details.

“I prefer travelling in a Bajaj three-wheeler and helping artists by buying their work — rather than owning an ordinary Japanese car which often costs a large fraction of one’s own home and an equally large fraction of one’s income to run and maintain!”

His singular inspiration is Geoffrey’s garden Lunuganga at Bentota. “I spent most weekends at Lunuganga with my mentor, between 1983 and 1992.

“Here, the hand of the master accentuates nature and geometry enhances landscape, which is an age old tradition in Sri Lanka.

“The garden is sublime and peaceful, and was a refuge from the many insurgencies at that time.”

What’s home for him?

“A place where I can chill out with music, often ragas from India. It’s also where I can come to terms with my limitations and contradictions, and a refuge from the harsher realities of the world outside.”

What was his reaction to the book, Anjalendran, Architect of Sri Lanka, chronicling his works and life?

A polite laugh before he replies: “One did one’s work and lived one’s life to one’s own upbringing and ideals. The book celebrates this ONLY in retrospect. One hopes that this wouldn’t change one.

“One should also not forget to thank the author David Robson, photographer Waruna Gomis and publisher Eric Wee of Periplus.”

Currently, Chelvadurai is working on ancillary buildings such as the employees’ quarters at Mount Cinnamon.

“I am also designing a community centre in Galle, overlooking the sea and sunset. For the moment, these humanitarian projects are the buildings of my heart.”

If he has his life to live over, what would he change?

“I wouldn’t change anything. Even the harsher realities of life which have betrayed my innocence and, on occasion, even friendships. I recognise now that nothing is perfect.”

However, he admits that he “would have loved to have been a dancer”.

“But I wouldn’t make as many happy as I have done with my architecture and perhaps, less importantly, I never would have made a living.”

To Chelvadurai, Sri Lanka will always be home.

“Despite the constant wars, Sri Lanka has always has been and will continue to remain more than ‘a small miracle’.”

Note: The book review of Anjalendran, Architect of Sri Lanka and an interview with its photographer will appear in SIX tomorrow.

Anjalendran with David Robson.

Courtesy: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20090904082814/Article/

Anjalendran – Architect of Sri Lanka

By Nan

Chelvadurai Anjalendran is many diverse personalities rolled into one man. He is one of Sri Lanka’s foremost architects. Some may find him brusque, others may say he is genuine and genteel, but everyone agrees he is unique - both in his work and his manner; no two words about that. He has no office, no secretary, no cell phone, no car, no bank account but he has generosity of spirit in plenty. He employs undergraduate architecture students, just four at a time and then follows their careers and helps them whenever the need for a helping hand is discerned. He keeps in touch with past students and promotes them whenever possible. He is often outrageous with a puckish sense of humour and a just-don’t-care attitude. A picture of him posted on Internet shows him with towel across bare chest and a hibiscus stuck behind his ear! Another has him striking a Bharatha Natyam pose. However gravitas - seriousness - is also a major component of his personality.

He initially worked with Geoffrey Bawa and then Surath Wickremasinghe, and in 1982 started his own practice, first on the verandah of his mother’s house in Gregory’s Road and then in his own uniquely built house in Battaramulla. Anjalendran has built residences, offices and commercial buildings and most praiseworthily - five wonderful SOS Children’s Villages at rock bottom cost. His buildings total 120, some of which were designed free. He is an excellent teacher, lecturing in Sri Lanka and abroad, and winner of prestigious awards.

Academic & Professional

Grandson of the famous C Sunderalingam – Minister in the first D S Senanayake Cabinet - and belonging to one of Jaffna’s elite families, Anjalendran graduated from the University of Moratuwa with a BSc in Architecture. With British Council sponsorship he moved to the University College of London where he obtained his Diploma and Master’s degree in Architecture. He is a member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architecture (SLIA) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). He was design tutor/year master at the Colombo School of Architecture 1986-89 and is presently visiting lecturer at the Department of Architecture, University of Moratuwa. He also served as a Teaching Fellow at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT in Boston (1986) and was convener of Design Workshops for many years in the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi.

Awards he’s won in plenty: four SLIA Design Awards; the Herman Gmeiner Silver Medal in ‘Appreciation and Thanks’ for his SOS Village work; the Kenneth F Brown Asia Pacific Architecture and Culture Design Award, in Hawaii. These honours and others sit very lightly on the man. "Over the last two decades, Anjalendran has established himself as one of Sri Lanka’s leading architects. His buildings have a simple directness and although totally modern in spirit, they acknowledge the rich tradition of Sri Lanka. He uses the simplest of material to create magic, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the series of SOS villages." (Announcement on Inernet of the launch of Anjalendran: Architect of Sri Lanka on 19 October)

The Man Within

To me the quality that exemplifies Anjalendran is his generosity. Not only is this apparent in his dealings with others, it permeates his work as well. His buildings, even when built to tight budgets are open and welcoming. Nature included, trees seldom cut since many of his buildings embrace a tree. Color is ever-present, giving inhabitants and visitors a sense of delight. But behind the beautiful facades and the lush courtyards is an underlying rigour and attention to detail; an understanding of climate, culture and the needs of the client; that makes his work stand apart.

My daughter-in-law and I were once given a tour by Anjalendran of a few recent houses and it was an experience not to be forgotten. A knock on the door and a cursory –"I’ll take them round" to the owners (they must be used to him dropping by unannounced), and we were off at break-neck speed from room to room, with scant notice of sleeping occupants in some of them. The rapid progression was interrupted by instructions to perch on a toilet seat and admire the view of the sky (an open-air shower is an unexpected delight in many of his houses), or to stop at a certain point and take in a carefully constructed vista.

He inherits, I am sure, many of his qualities from his mother, Lingawathy Chelvadurai – a wonderful woman who looks on life with positivity and humour. A pleasure always to visit her as one comes away refreshed with a sense of optimism to life transferred from her to the visitor. She knew his students when they worked with him on her verandah and now welcomes them when they visit, keenly interested in their progress: academically, professionally and life-wise. That is the generosity of spirit and concerned interest that has been transmitted to this second of her three sons.

The Book

David Robson’s book on his friend and fellow architect: Anjalendran – Architect of Sri Lanka was launched on 19 October and a presentation made at the British Council on the evening of 26 October. Published by Periplus, the book features text by Robson and photographs by Waruna Gomis. David Robson is also the author of Geoffrey Bawa: The Complete Works; Beyond Bawa: Modern Masterworks of Monsoon Asia; and Bawa: the Sri Lankan Gardens. He is Professor of Architecture at the University of Brighton and a visiting professor in the National University of Singapore. He met Anjalendran when he was working on his first book on Bawa and drew heavily on Anjalendran’s recollections and archives. Prof Robson taught in Colombo in the early 1970s and was subsequently an advisor to the government and involved in Prime Minister Premadasa’s 100,000 houses project.

The presentation at the British Council was riveting – due to both the speaker and the subject spoken about. Most of Anjalendran’s buildings were projected on screen with comments on the special features of each building. But what I found most interesting were insights to the man – his penchant for collecting artifacts and art objects wherever he travels with no consideration of cost, bulk or weight, and how he was taught Baratha Natyam as a young boy and took to it again recently as a reliever of stress.

The Man according to himself

Excerpting from an interview given by Anjalendran to the New Straits Times Malaysia in August this year, I’ll present his views, his philosophy on work and life and a glance at who he really is.

His philosophy on architecture: "Be simple, less pretentious and build for the less rich."

His philosophy on life: "Do not try to save the world, but try and perhaps make a few people around you happy."

If he were given his life to live over, what changes would he make? "Nothing, even the harsher realities of life which have betrayed my innocence and on occasion even friendships. I recognize now, that nothing is really perfect."

If not an architect, what would he have been? And why? "I would have loved to be a dancer, but I would not make as many others as happy as I have with my architecture, and perhaps, not less importantly, I could never have made a living".

About his architecture, I quote just a couple of answers.

The building that most inspired him: "Geoffrey Bawa’s garden Lunuganga at Bentota where I spent most weekends with my mentor between 1983 and 1992…."

His favourite of the buildings he’s designed: "My own house, built in 1993, around a courtyard. Its tent-like space seems to contain my contradictions and anxieties of life."

His most challenging building: "Mt Cinnamon at Mirissa for Miles Young as there was much design precedence around. Geoffrey had designed the Jayewardene House nearby, and Kerry Hill had his own renovated house in Galle … There was also a lot of derivative ‘Sri Lankan Style’ among the expatriates which was the fashion. One wondered whether one could do something different and perhaps original."

He explains at the end of the interview what home is to him and what Sri Lanka means to him: "A place where I can chill-out with music, often the ragas from India. It is also a place where I can come to terms with my limitations and contradictions and a refuge from the harsher realities of the world outside."

"Sri Lanka will always be my home, and despite the constant wars till now, Sri Lanka had always been and will continue to remain more than a ‘small miracle’".

The human aspect of the man behind the buildings is what I am impressed by; over and above the brilliance of his architecture and the fame he has earned and won. His personality is complex, but within is a humane being with childlike wonder still intact.

David Robson’s comprehensive Anjalendran – Architect of Sri Lanka is a must buy not only for architecture buffs, but for all Sri Lankans who are interested in design and culture and what it truly means to be Sri Lankan. 240 pages are packed with photographs of buildings, places and people and includes two paged articles on Barbara Sansoni, Ena de Silva and Lucky Senanayake, plus much more. The feeling I get when I open the book and look through is serenity and joy that there is so much beauty to appreciate