Following the visit of Chinese Premier Chou En Lai in February 1964 and the assurance of the construction of an international conference hall in memory of Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, the ground-breaking ceremony was held on 24 November 1970 in the presence of Mrs Bandaranaike, Governor General William Gopallawa and the Cabinet of Ceylon. To be named the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, the early stages of construction saw Mrs Bandaranaike, her Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament participate in a shramadana campaign. The building, which was completed four months ahead of schedule, was designed in keeping with the country’s architectural designs.