Hi my loving Architecture+Design lovers,

How are you Hivers? I really believe that you are doing very well. As a working person, I also got a day off from work due to the International Workers' Day which fell on May 1st, so I took the opportunity to visit the beautiful Magampura area. There is hardly a Sri Lankan who does not visit the Ruhunu Magam Path, which has a high historical and traditional value. There is hardly any shortage of tourists in this area at any time of the year. Therefore, business places are being built day by day in this historical region. Business owners have been motivated to adopt different architectural concepts and different business strategies due to the existing competition. The sacred city of Kataragama can be easily reached from the capital via the Southern Expressway. Thus, one can reach Magampura through the Lunugamvehera town. Today, we were all looking for a restaurant that could serve simple and rustic food. After spending a lot of time, we found a restaurant called Niwahana in Weerawila.

The front of the restaurant, Niwahana, located in Weerawila, is truly impressive. A replica of a cart, which was used as a means of transportation in the past, has been created in front of it. Since this cart was pulled by a cow, a replica of the cow has also been created. At first, I thought this was a real cart, but when I got closer, I saw that it was a solidly built replica.

It is clear that the design of the front of the "Nivahana" restaurant is really a tactic to attract customers. Because visitors who live in urban areas and visit rural areas like this prefer designs related to natural settings. The roof of the Nivahana restaurant is made in a triangular shape and is covered with country tiles made of clay. The walls here were made of clay. They were abundant in the Weerawila area and could have been obtained for free from the surrounding environment. When the walls are made of clay, a cool environment is created. Aloe vera plants were planted in small cement pots in front. For those who do not want to get food and drinks from inside, two small sheds and a hanging chair have also been built to sit in front and watch the surroundings.

This beautiful and simple restaurant was ready to serve food and drinks in the style of the village as well as in the way they liked it. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is possible to get additional drinks like tea and coffee here. To demonstrate this, a strategy has been taken by holding a round piece of wood and drawing letters and drawings on it. The front of this "lodge" restaurant is striking, with several ornamental plants arranged in a natural way. From the moment I reached this place, before getting food, my attention was drawn to the front area. Several handicrafts made of rattan were also displayed on glass-covered wooden cupboards for sale.

After exploring the front part of the "Nawathana" shelter, I entered directly into the inner area of ​​the restaurant. By then, my two friends had already gone inside the restaurant and placed their food orders, and were waiting for it. In the meantime, I paid attention to the architectural elements inside. The staircase is made of a mixture of stone, sand and cement. It is made in a natural way without any shape, which highlights the naturalness. The handrails on both sides of the staircase are made of wooden rods. They are well polished and painted a dark brown color. The floor of the dining area of ​​the restaurant was covered with wood, and the front wall, including the entrance door, was covered with glass, probably to protect it from the dust on the street.

The interior of this restaurant in the Weerawila area, known as Nawathena, was a bit dark. So the photos may be a bit blurry, but I took care to present them as best I could. The chairs, tables and benches where you can sit and enjoy food and drinks are made of wood and are polished to a dark brown color, giving it more shine. Three carved old-style chairs that lean slightly freely to eat were also added for the convenience of customers. From the inside, the structure of the roof can be explored well. It appears that the supports used to hold the clay tiles on the roof are wooden. It is wonderful how clay towers were built in places and turned into supports.

The rustic food at the restaurant called Nawathana was served in circular clay pots. Although it took a long time to store food in those clay pots, the food remained fresh. Since these clay pots were well-maintained, they sparkled. We liked to have rice and curry with lake fish curry, so we ordered it that way. In fact, this restaurant called Nawathana can be said to be a place full of architectural elements mixed with wood and clay.

The reason why the restaurant is dark inside is probably because not all the lights are on. It is definitely a charming place to be at night because of the lighting system hanging from above. The front part was covered with glass, but the sides were left open to the surrounding environment. When the sun was too hot, mats woven from reeds were hung on the wall to block it. In addition to the old chairs, new style chairs were also kept here. Although there was no one there when we went, I suggest this restaurant as a more suitable place.

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