My introduction to Geoffrey Bawa was over a decade ago, at Number 11 in Colombo, a gnarly plumeria standing guard outside. Inside, stark white walls, illuminated by skylights and courtyards, drew the eye, as did the painted door by Australian artist Donald Friend, the mix of antique and contemporary furniture, and the textures of the ceilings and red oxide floors.
Rejecting ornamentation, embracing minimalism, and drawing from the environment around him, the father of Tropical Modernism (born on July 23) showed generations of Southeast Asian designers how to stay local, indigenous and yet be international. “He helped us build a sense of pride in tradition-inspired modern architecture,” says Goa-based architect Raya Shankhwalker, who is most impressed by Lunuganga, the 25-acre country estate created over 40 years where Bawa tinkered and tried out his architectural ideas until his death in 2003. Did you know he had 14 bells scattered throughout the property, each with a different sound, to summon meals and beverages to specific spots?
The Sri Lankan architect had also done a few projects in India, including at the Taj Connemara in Chennai. “The grand staircase is an exemplary work of Bawa’s. It still remains [after the extensive renovations the hotel recently undertook], embellished with wooden carvings that date back to the 16th and 17th century from the old temples of Mahabalipuram, and a statue of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati,” says Ahmar Siddiqui, General Manager of Taj Connemara.
With Bawa’s centenary celebrations on — till July 2020, across multiple venues in the island nation — it is a great time to revisit his legacy. We speak with six architects and interior designers on why his works still matter and the lessons we can draw from his designs.
Ashiesh Shah, architect | Mumbai
Bawa was the master of landscape and, at the same time, one of the best design aesthetes. I’ve been to Lunuganga, and to see the frugality and high level of design in the same space was inspiring. He has this very intense idea of scale — using large pots or a large chair, and then softening it with the landscape. A lot of my work is inspired by him. His penchant of using things out of proportion and making it look dramatic is something I’ve always aspired to. In a house I recently did in Hyderabad, we used South Indian pots and antiques to create scale, something that was inspired by Bawa’s aesthetic. I will visit Sri Lanka in December, to catch the celebrations. I’ll stay in one of his properties and will definitely do the Bawa tour.
Raya Shankhwalker, architect | Goa
Bawa’s buildings are, in many ways, understated, but the experiences they create are iconic. The way they move from smaller spaces to larger, the use of courtyards to illuminate the interiors. I’m impressed by the way he leveraged vernacular architecture to create modern interpretations. The textures of the buildings — the stark contrast of plastered walls and the traditional half round roof tiles he used — the proportions, the scale, the integration of the landscape and the building. Bawa’s buildings had small openings, because larger ones would let in more sun. He broke the intensity [of the climate] with patios and verandas. His openings also created linkages to the landscape; [I love] how the vistas are framed in these openings. His tropical modernism is particularly relevant for India today, when our pursuit of modernism has led to the complete destruction of design in every part of the country. Our traditional streetscapes are being obliterated to make way for faceless buildings, with bad climatological adaptations, use of materials and eco-sensitivity. India needs to pursue Bawa’s culturally-sensitive architecture that draws from vernacular building systems that have adapted to local requirements.
Jyothi, architect | Kochi
Bawa’s style is so minimalist, with in-built furniture and designs in tune with nature. I’ve referenced this often. Like his work with oxides, or how he’d use leaves and other materials from the immediate surroundings as inlay to create texture. But, above all, his designs used the skill of the craftsman — the masons, the stone workers. If you look at the wall finishes in homes from a 100 years ago in Kerala, it’s the same as what Bawa used. His work reminds us how we’ve lost so many of our skills and why we must revive them.
CHENNAI: TAMIL NADU: 14/11/2016: For Melange Cover: Vikram Phadke , Interior Designer, who talks abou the present trend in Inerior Designing and Theater Designing. Photo: Shaju John/The Hindu
Vikram Phadke, interior designer | Chennai
Bawa’s works are very ‘human’; you can identify with everything. There are no flourishes, no unnecessary details. His works have always been an influence because they are timeless. What interests me most is his sense of landscape. A visit to Lunuganga was a revelation — his understanding of the environment, the clean vistas and the large trees all around. Closer home, he did the extension block at the Taj Connemara. Much of it is no more, but I remember the gentle landscape with blocks of stones containing water and the plumerias. He used the classic white flower with the yellow heart — the common thread through his landscapes.
Ravi Vazirani, interior designer | Mumbai
There is a certain sense of restraint in Bawa’s works that really resonates with my design ideology. The use of the colours white, black and grey, the use of concrete — that drew me in. I visited Lunuganga and Number 11 this February. While the sightline in the former — the clear view of the lake and the estate, no matter where you were — was impressive, it was the latter that I found impactful. The house is something I’d design today. The lower levels and staircase are finished in epoxy, one of my favourite materials to work with, along with lots of metal, wood and concrete. There is a rawness to his materials, and, at the same time, a chicness.
Vikram Goyal, interior and product designer | Delhi
It’s hard to miss his work if you are in design. The way his spaces are created to reflect the immediate geographic, cultural and social environment has stayed with me through my interior design and my architectural work. A recent project in Goa, Moira by the Church, reflected this style, with the use of local red laterite as both building material and adornment (as exposed walls, courtyards). It was an ode to local materials in a modernist form. I will be going to Sri Lanka next month and plan to visit all of Bawa’s buildings.
