Company Roads is mostly a commercial area with hotels, shopping centres, street food stalls, and is known for its multicultural, especially Malay heritage.

The name "Slave Island" was coined during the period of British colonial rule and was a reference to the usage of the island under Portuguese rule as a holding area for African slaves, most of them from the Swahili coast and Portuguese East Africa.

[4] In 2023, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister issued instructions to discontinue the use of exonym "Slave Island" in favour of "Kompagngna Veediya” in all three official languages.

The building features stylish arches, intricate woodwork and metal installations, which emphasise Victorian-era styles.

Senanayake and Oliver Goonetilleke met to discuss the constitutional reforms that led to Sri Lanka's independence in 1948.