[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Did you know?
The Lotus Tower is:
- The tallest completed tower in South Asia
- 11th tallest completed tower in Asia
- 19th tallest completed tower in the world
The 350m tall Lotus Tower in Colombo, Sri Lanka was declared open on 16th September 2019. Casting a shadow over Slave Island, Lotus Tower is the biggest highlight of skyscrapers in Colombo, and currently the hot discussion topic in town! Being the tallest building in South Asia, a glimpse of the Lotus Tower can be seen from up to 10kms away and into the outskirts of Colombo.
The opening of this tower was done under the patronage of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse. For the construction of Lotus Tower, a total of USD 104.3 million was funded by the government of China.
Back in 2012, Sri Lanka and China signed the Lotus Tower agreement under the Belt and Road Initiative to build the tallest TV tower in South Asia, with the general contractor for this project being China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation (CEIEC). According to the Telecom Regulatory Commission (TRC), a loan from the Import and Export Bank of China covers the construction cost of this tower, which will be paid back from revenue earned by renting out space.
Why was it built?
The main purpose of the Lotus Tower is to function as a single transmission hub for telecommunications, digital TV and radio. This will help reduce the carbon footprint within the city and at the same time, improve the overall quality of transmissions.
In addition to functioning as a TV Tower, the Lotus Tower also comprises of a hotel, a conference center, and a shopping mall. The base of the tower covers an area of 30,600 square meters, including four gates to enter the tower. Inside, you will find a restaurant, a communication museum, supermarkets, food courts, luxury hotel rooms, and ballrooms.
The Tower House
Shaped like a lotus, this tower covers a total area of 7616m2 and consists of 8 floors.
- First floor – TV transmitter plant and control rooms.
- Second floor – Radio transmitter plant and control rooms.
- Third floor – two banquet/conference halls which can seat 450 people each
- Fourth floor – an auditorium that can accommodate as much as 1000 people.
- Fifth floor – revolving restaurant that provides exclusive fine dining opportunities with an amazing view. The restaurant covers an area of 1088 m2 and can seat up to 600 guests at a time.
- Sixth floor – luxury suites to accommodate state guests and other VIPs.
- Seventh floor – dedicated entirely to an observation gallery.
- Eight floor – AC outdoor plant room and the elevator plant room.
Lotus Petals
The petals of the Lotus Tower play a big role in giving the finishing look. The framework of these petals is made of steel while the actual petals are of glass. The tower’s color will alternate between pink and light yellow by way of a smooth transition which is achieved by coating the glass and illuminating it with changeable LED lighting. The trunk of the tower will be illuminated with floodlights, making it visible at considerable distance even at night.
The Lotus Tower is indeed a masterpiece. Don’t miss out on this exciting new development during your tour in Sri Lanka!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]