Historic Whiteaway Building in Colombo

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The Whiteaway Building, built around 1907–1908, is a striking colonial-era structure located on Sir Baron Jayatilaka Mawatha (formerly Prince Street). After being locked up for nearly 30 years due to civil unrest, this historic site has been restored and brought back to life, reclaiming its place among the iconic landmarks of Colombo Fort.

Architectural Elegance

One of the most eye-catching features of the Whiteaway Building is its regal crown-like gabled rooftop (cupola). This architectural crown has been carefully preserved during restoration. Its base is adorned with a fish-scale design and oval-shaped glass insets, topped with a fine steel grill of intricate design and a flagpole.

The three-story structure reflects Edward Skinner’s distinctive colonial design. The ground floor includes an external corridor, shielding pedestrians from the tropical sun, and features two arched doorways. The second floor houses arched windows, while the third features square windows. Inside, the stairways are made of durable hardwood (Manathunga, 2005/2020, p. 20; Kaluarachchi, 2004, p. 239).

From Church to Commerce

The Whiteaway Building is believed to have been constructed on the original site of St. Andrew’s Church. With Colombo Fort becoming a center of trade connecting Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, the church was dismantled, and a new building for commerce was raised in its place. According to Coombe (2020), the church, once linked with the Lions Club, was later rebuilt in Kollupitiya, while this new structure became home to one of the most prominent department stores in Ceylon.

The Era of Whiteaway Laidlaw & Co.

The building became synonymous with Whiteaway Laidlaw & Co., a British department store chain founded in 1882. Known as drapers, outfitters, and purveyors of general household goods, Whiteaway Laidlaw expanded across Asia, including India, Ceylon, Burma, Singapore, Malaysia, and China, before closing in the 1960s.

Operating strictly on a cash-only policy, the store earned the nickname “Right-away, Paid-for.” In Ceylon, it carried fewer departments than rivals such as Cargills or Millers, but it served as the main agent for many British brands. Departments included groceries, tailoring, menswear, footwear, glassware, china, confectionery, haberdashery, and millinery.

A highlight for children was the toys department on the third floor, which displayed a model railway with running toy trains demonstrating Tri-Ang models from Britain. The store was also the agent for Barb garments, Ciro Pearls, Snow White Sheets, and Helena Rubinstein beauty products. (Weerasooriya, 2022)

Changing Fortunes

Once celebrated as the island’s finest sari and luxury store, the Whiteaway Building later lost its colonial glamour. It was converted into Sathosa, a cooperative wholesale retailer where discounted fruits and vegetables replaced the silks and perfumes of its heyday.

For decades, the site remained derelict, boarded up, and chained. In 2011, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka took ownership of both the Whiteaway and the adjoining Lloyd’s Building. Following careful restoration, the building regained its colonial charm and today looks almost as fresh as it did when it first opened in the early 20th century.

Currently, the Whiteaway Building serves a modern role, housing the Employees’ Provident Fund offices of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Whiteaways and Laidlaw Building in Colombo

References

Coombe, J. (2020, September 25). Colombo’s Fort: a trading gem. Daily News. Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://archives1.dailynews.lk/2020/09/25/tc/229649/colombo%E2%80%99s-fort-trading-gem?page=25
Kaluarachchi, S. (2004). කොළඹ පුරාණය (Ancient Colombo). Sooriya Publishers.
Manathunga, S. B. (2020). කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කය: පෞරාණික ස්ථාන හා ස්මාරක (3rd ed.). Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka. (Original work published 2005)
Weerasooriya, S. (2022, March 31). The Big Four of Old Colombo. The Island. Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://island.lk/the-big-four-of-old-colombo/
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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