Chapel Restoration Project

The Chapel of Trinity College Kandy, a historical landmark in Kandy, has inspired the Trinity community since 1922. After decades of continuous exposure, the chapel now requires significant restoration to preserve its structural integrity and historical value. This document outlines the plan for comprehensive restoration, seeking community funding to support the preservation of this cherished Trinity artifact, which embodies the core values of Trinity: integrity, service, excellence, and resilience.

The restoration will ensure the chapel continues to serve as a place for reflection, assembly, and spiritual growth for future generations of Trinitians and others, preserving it for eternity.

The "Chapel Without Walls" at Trinity College is a unique edifice epitomizing Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage and the island’s past mastery in using granite to build massive structures designed to last an eternity. It embodies many of Sri Lanka’s ancient skills in art and architecture. The intricately carved towering granite columns, capped with carved wooden elements called "pekadas" in Sinhala (a blend of corbel and capital), and the unique murals can only be appreciated in situ, with a visit to the Chapel.

The expanses of honey-colored granite are beautifully offset by large colorful murals of Biblical scenes painted by one of Sri Lanka’s most famous artists, the late David Paynter, O.B.E., who was also an alumnus of Trinity College. The murals date from 1928 onwards. The uniqueness of the murals is that they represent Biblical scenes set in a tropical Sri Lankan environment. Multiple efforts have been made to conserve these unique artifacts.

With age, exposure to the prevalent humidity and dampness in the region, the air which contains aerosol pollutants, and the structural deterioration of the edifice, there has been a slow but inexorable deterioration of the once vibrant edifice and the murals. Thus, Trinity College Chapel is critically in need of a comprehensive restoration and conservation effort to preserve these murals, along with the 100-year-old Chapel itself, for future generations. The study conducted by a committee of experts (architects, structural engineer, resident engineer, and the premises manager) has further emphasized the need for urgent and professional intervention.