A leading architect and two young architecture students from Sri Lanka attended this year’s World Architecture Festival in Berlin. They were selected by AkzoNobel Paints Lanka to attend the festival’s programmes and meet the world’s top architects; all amidst the rich architectural heritage of Berlin.
The three participants were chosen by AkzoNobel Paints based on promise cemented via accreditation in the field. Damith Premathilaka was recognized as the Best Young Architect of 2016 by the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, whilst Maas Imad Asmone Faiham and K.D.R.S. De Silva both topped their batches at their schools; the Colombo School of Architecture and University of Moratuwa respectively.
These bright students were chosen for the incredible aptitude they have displayed, as well as their commitment to the discipline, said AkzoNobel Paints Lanka Mr. Gerald de Saram, Managing Director, AkzoNobel Paints Lanka. “We strongly believe in Sri Lanka’s young crop of talent. They have a very rigorous and focussed work ethic and that’s something we embrace at AkzoNobel, so we try to create opportunities to nurture this talent.”
The young architect and students travelled to Germany for the festival at Arena Berlin. The World Architecture Festival draws in over 2500 architects, and offers live award critique by a panel of 100 judges for 411 shortlisted projects. 58 countries are represented at this festival; these architects have access to over 50 lectures and seminars, curated tours and networking opportunities. Everything happens in the historic city of Berlin- a melting pot of culture, design and history.
Architect Damith Premathilaka heads his own practice based from Kotte, and has been awarded several accolades for his work from the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects. Mr Premathilaka has also won the World Architecture Community Awards twice. Sharing his experiences at the festival, he said “It was a good opportunity to meet other architects from around the world and to connect with those that I hope to work with in the future. I’m grateful to AkzoNobel for facilitating the journey and handling all the logistics with such efficiency-all we had to focus on was the festival experience.”
The two young students, Maas Imad Asmone Faiham and K.D.R.S. De Silva, attended several lectures and workshops conducted by renowned architects. “It was a surreal experience to be surrounded by all these well-known names in the architecture world,” shared De Silva. “I’ll definitely remember everything we learnt during this festival, and apply it to my work at CSA while I complete my degree. It expands our perspective and helps us make a real impact as an architect in Sri Lanka,” added Faiham.
About AkzoNobel Paints: AkzoNobel Paints is a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. Its ‘Dulux’ brand is a household name in Sri Lanka, with over a hundred of local staff members.
Photo caption (from left): K.D.R.S. De Silva (Best student of the year 2016 – University of Moratuwa), Maas Imad Asmone Faiham (Best student of the year 2016 – CSA), and Damith Premathilaka (Best young architect 2016 – SLIA)