The two main facts that draw people towards metal roofing sheets, particularly the box profile design popular in commercial and industrial buildings, are that they are exceptional value for money, are easy to install and maintain, and have a lifespan that can be measured in decades.
Metal roofing sheets can last up to 70 years depending on the type, material and how carefully they are cared for. However, they can sometimes last a lot longer than this, and one of the most extreme examples of this is a metal roof that has survived for over 2200 years.
Found in the historic Sri Lankan town of Anuradhapura, Lovamahapaya was known as the “Brazen Palace” (Lohaprasaday) due to its metal roofing tiles that provided a stark contrast to other buildings on the island and highlighted the importance of the building.
The building had its origins with the first Buddhist King of Sri Lanka, King Devamnampiyatissa, who constructed a chapter house in the third century BC.
However, the most famous version of the building was the ambitious redesign by King Dutugemunu the Great, which was completed around 155 BC and was said to have been nine storeys tall, 120m in length along one side and contained a total of 1000 rooms, supported by golden pillars and a shimmering bronze roof.
This roof is believed to be the oldest of its kind to ever exist and predates the copper-domed roof of the Pantheon in Rome.
The accounts of the building around the time of its creation are somewhat outlandish, but the remains that have survived are still rather impressive.
However, the building was constantly the victim of disasters, both natural and the result of invading armies.
Just 30 years after its construction it had burned down in a fire, and whilst it would constantly be rebuilt numerous times, it would be modified, looted and destroyed countless other times, leaving only the thousands of stone pillars.
The modern building is far more modern and much more modest than it used to be but highlights the importance of metal roofing to this day.