MH Architecture

The Ehelepola Walawwa Historical Wax Museum logo was designed by MH Architects, inspired by the official seal of Ehelepola Nilame. The lettering is carefully recreated from interpretations of his original handwriting, honouring his legacy as Mahâ Adigâr, the highest ranking official after the King in the Kandyan Kingdom of Sri Lanka.

Ehelepola Walawwa Historical Wax Museum – Kandy, Sri Lanka

Architect : Archt. Mahima Herath AIA (SL) - MH Architects

The Ehelepola Walawwa Historical Wax Museum marks a significant transformation of one of Kandy’s most symbolic buildings. Once the residence of Ehelepola Maha Adikaram, Prime Minister to King Sri Vickrama Rajasinha, the Walawwa later endured two centuries as a colonial and state prison. Its thick walls, once associated with confinement, now serve as the framework for cultural storytelling.

Spearheaded by master artist Athula Herath under the patronage of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the project represents Sri Lanka’s first Historical Wax Museum. The adaptive reuse approach preserves the layered character of the Walawwa while introducing contemporary exhibition strategies.

Within its historic shell, immersive wax figures and spatial interventions narrate the rise and fall of the Kandyan Kingdom, offering visitors a rare architectural and cultural encounter. The project repositions the Walawwa as both a monument of memory and a living museum in the heart of Kandy.

Architect : Archt. Mahima Herath AIA (SL)

Administration Manager : Uvini Kulathunga
Quantity Surveyor : Charuna Madushanka
Project Team : Nipun De Silva, Tharindu Naveen, Niroshan Gamage, Malshi Gunawardhana, Kalana Jayasinghe, Thaviska Dilshan
Contractor : Realm Interiors
Photography: Ganidu Balasuriya photography

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