ARCHITECT ARCHITECT

GEOFFREY BAWAGEOFFREY BAWA

HIS LIFEHIS LIFE…………....

Date of birthDate of birth: : 2323rdrd July 1919July 1919--20032003PlacePlace: : ColomboColombo

His father and grandfather were lawyers and he His father and grandfather were lawyers and he also took up law at Cambridge University in also took up law at Cambridge University in London. but he was soon tired of the legal London. but he was soon tired of the legal profession and in 1946 set off on two years of profession and in 1946 set off on two years of travel that took him through the Far East, across travel that took him through the Far East, across the United States and finally to Europe.the United States and finally to Europe.

He was now twentyHe was now twenty--eight and had spent oneeight and had spent one--third of his life away from Ceylon. third of his life away from Ceylon. In 1948 he returned to Ceylon and bought In 1948 he returned to Ceylon and bought an abandoned rubber estate at an abandoned rubber estate at LunugangaLunuganga. . His dream was to create an Italian garden His dream was to create an Italian garden from a tropical wilderness, but his ideas were from a tropical wilderness, but his ideas were compromised by lack of technical knowledge.compromised by lack of technical knowledge.He enrolled as a student at the Architectural He enrolled as a student at the Architectural Association in London, where he is Association in London, where he is remembered as the tallest, oldest and most remembered as the tallest, oldest and most outspoken student of his generation. outspoken student of his generation.

In 1957In 1957-- BawaBawa (38yrs) qualified as an architect (38yrs) qualified as an architect and returned to Ceylon. and returned to Ceylon. His ambition to develop new ways of making and His ambition to develop new ways of making and building. building. He worked with many famous designers and He worked with many famous designers and artisitsartisits : the batik artist : the batik artist EnaEna de Silva, the de Silva, the designer Barbara designer Barbara SansoniSansoni, the artist , the artist LakiLakiSenanayakeSenanayake, architect , architect UlrikUlrik PlesnerPlesner and engineer and engineer K K PoologasundramPoologasundram. . He became the most respected and prolific in Sri He became the most respected and prolific in Sri Lanka, with a portfolio that included religious, Lanka, with a portfolio that included religious, social, cultural, educational, governmental, social, cultural, educational, governmental, commercial and residential buildings. commercial and residential buildings.

One of One of BawaBawa’’ss earliest domestic buildingsearliest domestic buildings

Courtyard house built in Colombo for Courtyard house built in Colombo for EnaEna De De Silva in 1961, Silva in 1961,

Central court and living roomCentral court and living room

He was the first to fuse elements of traditional He was the first to fuse elements of traditional Sinhalese domestic architecture with modern Sinhalese domestic architecture with modern

concepts of open planning, demonstrating that concepts of open planning, demonstrating that an outdoor life is viable on a tight urban plot. an outdoor life is viable on a tight urban plot.

The The BentotaBentota Beach Beach Hotel of 1968 was Hotel of 1968 was

Sri Lanka's first Sri Lanka's first purposepurpose--built built resort hotel, resort hotel,

1979, when he was invited by 1979, when he was invited by President President JayawardeneJayawardene to design Sri to design Sri

Lanka's new Parliament at Lanka's new Parliament at KotteKotte

The swampy site The swampy site was dredged to was dredged to create an island at create an island at the centre of a vastthe centre of a vast

artificial lakeartificial lake

Sri Lankan & Sri Lankan & SoutnSoutn Indian Architecture was Indian Architecture was incorporated within a modernist frame work incorporated within a modernist frame work creating a powerful image of democracy, creating a powerful image of democracy, cultural harmony, continuity and progresscultural harmony, continuity and progress

1980s 1980s -- new new RuhunuRuhunu University, a project that University, a project that enabled him to demonstrate his mastery of external enabled him to demonstrate his mastery of external space and the integration of buildings in a space and the integration of buildings in a

landscape.landscape.

At the age of 70 there were a At the age of 70 there were a stream of ambitious designs of stream of ambitious designs of which some were built. They which some were built. They areare………………………………..

The The KandalamaKandalama

This is not a building to look at, but a building to look from

Conceived as an Conceived as an austere jungle austere jungle palace, snaking palace, snaking around a rocky around a rocky outcrop on the outcrop on the edge of an edge of an ancient tank in the ancient tank in the Dry ZoneDry Zone

The use of The use of flat roofs flat roofs and a starkly and a starkly expressed expressed concrete concrete frame mark a frame mark a radical radical departure departure from from Bawa'sBawa's

earlier workearlier work

The journey to the The journey to the rooms runs rooms runs

alongside the alongside the overhanging cliff overhanging cliff

face face

Exterior view of covered Exterior view of covered corridorcorridor

The concrete frame The concrete frame carries an outer skin carries an outer skin

of timber sunof timber sun--breakers, which in turn breakers, which in turn support a screen of support a screen of vegetation, while the vegetation, while the

flat roof has been flat roof has been turned into a gardenturned into a garden

The materials used in the public spaces are The materials used in the public spaces are cool and hard and work with the large cool and hard and work with the large

expanses of naked rock contrasting with the expanses of naked rock contrasting with the

lushness of encroaching vegetationlushness of encroaching vegetation

The ample rooms, The ample rooms, dwarfed by the dwarfed by the

generous generous corridors, function corridors, function as cells that look as cells that look out across the out across the

tank towards the tank towards the horizonhorizon

The Lighthouse at The Lighthouse at GalleGalle, defying the , defying the southern oceans from its bouldersouthern oceans from its boulder--

strewn headlandstrewn headland

The Blue Water, a cool pleasure pavilion set The Blue Water, a cool pleasure pavilion set within a sedate coconut grove on the edge within a sedate coconut grove on the edge

of Colomboof Colombo

JayawardeneJayawardene househouseA phalanx of slender columns supports a waterA phalanx of slender columns supports a water--thin thin

roof to create a minimalist pavilion facing the roof to create a minimalist pavilion facing the Southern ocean and the setting sunSouthern ocean and the setting sun

Garden at Garden at LunugangaLunuganga

A civilized A civilized garden garden

within the within the larger larger

wilderness wilderness of Sri of Sri LankaLanka

An introspective assemblage of An introspective assemblage of courtyards, verandas and loggiascourtyards, verandas and loggias

A haven of peace, an infinite garden of the A haven of peace, an infinite garden of the mind, locked away within a busy and mind, locked away within a busy and

increasingly hostile city. increasingly hostile city.

Exterior view showing wood Exterior view showing wood columns supporting overhangcolumns supporting overhang

Interior view showing relationship between Interior view showing relationship between sheltered and exposed spacesheltered and exposed space

BAWA HOUSEBAWA HOUSE

BawaBawa received the received the AgaAga Khan's Khan's special award for architecture in special award for architecture in

2001. 2001. His demise at the age of 83 last His demise at the age of 83 last year ended the world's greatest year ended the world's greatest

talent in tropical modern talent in tropical modern architecturearchitecture..

His architecture is a subtle blend of modernity and tradition, East and West,

formal and picturesque; he has broken down the artificial segregation of inside and outside, building and landscape; he has

drawn on tradition to create an architecture that is fitting to its place, and he has also used his vast knowledge of the modern

world to create an architecture that is of its time.