Hello my fellow Architecture+Design lovers,

Greetings from Sri Lanka. What's up hivers? I honestly believe you are in good healthy very nearest enjoyable weekend. On that day, we had the opportunity to join a beautiful trip because I had taken leave yesterday. For a long time, my three family members didn't get the chance to enjoy my special ice cream meal. So, during the holiday break we got yesterday, in the evening we went to a charming cafe near our house for an ice cream meal. This ice cream shop is located behind the main bus station in Galle, the southernmost city of Sri Lanka. Although this place is popular among everyone as a unique place for serving different flavors of ice cream, no one was standing when we went there. This place has become popular especially among the youngsters who attend tuition classes. However, I, my wife and our daughter took the opportunity to spend a memorable moment. The name of this place is Rio Magi Ice Cream cafe. This place is built entirely in an outdoor space. Therefore, we cannot create a space inside. So what I hope to present in this content is to present the interesting architectural elements seen in the exterior surroundings of Rio Magi Ice Cream cafe.

Rio Magic Ice Cream cafe has ample parking space for customers so there is no problem. Cement bricks are laid on the ground so it is easy to walk freely in the small area. Leaves were placed in the empty spaces between several pots with ornamental plants to add more appeal. Really green environment friendly concepts are very important nowadays.

Another unique feature seen at Rio Magic Ice Cream cafe is the creation of various sculptures. Two lion statues, a protective animal in Buddhist history, were built on both sides in the form of carvings in an old temple. It is commendable that the management of this recently built ice cream restaurant has brought back valuable cultural elements.

At Rio Magic Ice Cream cafe, using steel pipes from the ground up to distribute light to the customers who come at night, four lights have been installed on the top of those steel pipes as if branches of trees are spreading. At first glance, those electric poles look like a 'spear' in Hindu history. Adding such cultural elements is a reason to increase the number of customers.

At Rio Magic Ice Cream cafe, the outdoor cabanas are well prepared for the customers to taste the ice cream. There are not a lot of employees because it is a newly opened place. When more customers are attracted, there is more opportunity to hire more employees. Chairs and tables made of cement over cement bricks are attractively arranged and fixed to the ground, so there is no need to move them around. The chairs were also comfortable.

The cafe has several cabana-style booths that are roofed with dry coconut fronds for guests to enjoy their ice cream. In all of these, one cement table and four chairs are permanently fixed to the ground. The roof of Rio Magi Ice Cream cafe is designed according to a natural concept so that the guests do not feel too hot during dry weather days. It's an important architectural feature I see.

Even the light bulbs hanging from the roof inside the cabana of Rio Magic Ice Cream cafe are charming. To get an idea about the light of those lamps, you must visit here at night. Roofs with dry coconut leaves rot after a while and must be re-roofed. Even though it is extra work, it is a better way than laying sheets that are not good for the body like asbestos sheets.

*A sculpture of a queen mummy in the pyramids, reminiscent of ancient Egyptian history, is placed here with the aim of giving some idea to the patrons. It is highly appreciated that such sculptures reminding of old foreign history are kept in the free land.

This ice cream cafe has also created a unique opportunity for customers. That is, it is a commendable thing that customers have been given an opportunity to stand on a model like a fishing boat and enjoy the ice cream. It is sure to be a unique experience especially for customers. Getting to enjoy ice cream inside a fishing boat was an unforgettable experience for a long time. The only difference is that it does not travel on the sea. A wooden ladder is also made to climb the boat. This is a unique feature of Rio Magic Ice Cream cafe.

Galle city is an area with a fishing harbor where fishing is widely practiced, so I got to see a sculpture of a fisherman set up in this place. Of course, this is a creative activity. Such a life-like fishing of a fisherman is indeed an important and impressive architectural feature.

The place did not only have cabanas with thatched roofs for customers to enjoy ice cream. Visitors were given the opportunity to enjoy ice-cream in a free environment on a circular cement bench under the shade of a tree. It will be a unique opportunity to enjoy ice cream under the shade of a tree and caressed by the breeze.

At Rio Magic Ice Cream cafe, you can also see a replica of an old Sri Lankan traditional boat made of brass. Although these old boats are still used in the fishing industry, they are widely used only for shallow fishing. Some ornamental plants were planted inside it.

You can now clearly see the rooftops of the cabanas of this beautiful place. The dried coconut leaves are used as support for the roof, and long pieces of fat wood are used and crosswise are pieces of raw coconut wood. They are not sturdy and have to be replaced quickly at times. But you all know that no matter how quickly you have to switch, this natural finish is worth a lot.

They provide ice cream and drinks to customers in different flavors and different menus. In front of the restaurant where they are made, the delicious ice cream food is displayed in an eye-catching way to increase the desire of the customers to buy. Indeed, seeing the boards displaying the delicious food will entice people to order naturally.

Rio Magic Ice Cream cafe provides many other varieties of food under Rio special fried ice cream roll, Rio special pulda, Rio special hot drinks, Rio special ice cream cake, Rio special milkshake, Rio special mojoto. In the end we bought three each of the chocolate and vanilla mixed black ice cream, mango and orange mixed ice cream and mixed fruit ice cream mixed with fruit pieces. Enjoyed free ice cream for over half an hour looking at the natural architectural elements. The three ice creams cost 1050 Sri Lankan rupees, which is close to three American dollars.

3speak

YouTube

Twitter

Source