Historic Mackinnon Mackenzie Building (Victoria Arcade)

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The original Mackinnon Mackenzie Building / Victoria Archade in Colombo (cicra 1900)

The Mackinnon Mackenzie Building, earlier known as the Victoria Arcade and later the York Arcade, was constructed in 1860 and originally belonged to the Earl of Inchcape. Ideally positioned on the Colombo harbor front, right next to the Grand Oriental Hotel, this was one of the first major commercial complexes a visitor would encounter upon arrival to the island.

Early Construction and Layout

Built in 1860 (Manathunga, 2005/2020), the Mackinnon Mackenzie Building originally stretched from the Colombo harbor front up to Sir Baron Jayatilaka Mawatha along York Street. At this junction stood the National Bank of India, while the rest of the building was home to a wide range of offices. Among them were Thomas Cook and Son, the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company, Lloyd’s Greater Britain Publishing Company, Reuter’s Telegram Company, Krawehl Coal Company, Egyptian Cigarettes and Turkish Tobacco Company, American Dentistry, and even the Russian Consulate. (Wright, 1907/2004)

Architectural Features

A prominent feature of the building was its long arcaded ground floor. These arched corridors created shaded walkways for pedestrians, a hallmark of colonial-era commercial architecture. The upper floors were lined with a mix of tall rectangular arched windows, arranged in a rhythmic pattern and capped with decorative elements. These windows featured small, ornate balconies, providing both relief to the façade and vantage points overlooking the busy streets below. Vertical pilaster-like elements between windows added further structure and refinement to the exterior of the building.

An additional floor was later added, maintaining the original Neoclassical and Victorian character of the building. The corner where the National Bank of India stood became an architectural highlight, with a taller section capped by a dome. Beneath the dome was a lantern or cupola, designed to bring natural light into the interior space and to act as a visual focal point.

Mackinnon Mackenzie & Company

The building’s prominence grew alongside Colombo’s rise as a port city. In April 1871, Robert Spence Philpott and Teritt Hugh Tatchem established Mackinnon Mackenzie & Company in Ceylon to manage the shipping agency business of P&O and the British Steam Navigation Company. (defonseka.com, n.d.)

By 1917, the company had set up an office in Victoria Arcade, York Street — by then a landmark of Colombo Fort, owned by the Earl of Inchcape. In November 1921, the company purchased the property outright for 1,350,000 rupees. To accommodate its rapidly expanding operations, the building was extended and renovated in 1925. At its peak, the Mackinnon Mackenzie Building symbolized the strength of Colombo’s shipping and mercantile trade. (defonseka.com, n.d.)

Decline and Later Changes

In 1981 a devastating fire destroyed part of the structure. A new building eventually rose on that site, now housing the Standard Chartered Bank. What remains of the original Mackinnon Mackenzie Building survives facing Layden Bastian Road. However, this surviving façade has undergone extensive renovations, obscuring much of its original 19th-century character.

Despite these changes, the building continues to house the Mackinnon Mackenzie Group of Companies, preserving at least part of its historic legacy.

Early 20th Century Photos of the Mackinnon Mackenzie Building (Victoria Arcade)

The expanded Mackinnon Mackenzie Building / Victoria Archade in Colombo (cicra 1900)

Mackinnon Mackenzie Building / Victoria Archade in Colombo from the habour front (cicra 1900)

Current Photos of the Mackinnon Mackenzie Building (Victoria Arcade)

THe current Mackinnon Mackenzie Building / Victoria Archade in Colombo

References

Macmillan, A. (1928). Seaports of India & Ceylon: Historical and Descriptive Commercial and Industrial Facts, Figures, & Resources (1st ed.). W H & L Collingridge.
Manathunga, S. B. (2020). කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කය: පෞරාණික ස්ථාන හා ස්මාරක (3rd ed.). Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka. (Original work published 2005)
Welandawe, H., & Weerasinghe, J. (2016). Urban Heritage in the WRMPP. (unpublished)
defonseka.com. (n.d.). Mackinnon Mackenzie & Company of Ceylon and the P&O Company. De Fonseka. Retrieved September 15, 2025, from https://defonseka.com/front-page/the-articles/history/2132-2
Wright, A. (2004). Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources (1st ed.). Asian Educational Services. (Original work published 1907)

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