Today marks the centenary of Geoffrey Bawa’s birth. The next 12 months will see a plethora of events, exhibitions, installations and talks unfolding across Sri Lanka to celebrate the legendary architect’s life and work.
My introduction to 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, 1919 — 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 prolific Bawa ventured into architecture quite late. He’d studied and practised law in England and Colombo, but quit after his mother died in 1946. Two years of travel later, he returned to Sri Lanka and bought a derelict rubber estate near Bentota, where he planned to create an Italian garden, the likes of which he had seen on his travels. But his lack of technical knowledge hampered him. So he took on an architectural apprenticeship with HH Reid in Colombo and later enrolled at the Architectural Association, London, qualifying as an architect at the age of 38.
Till his death at age 83 (on May 27, 2003), he created a vast portfolio of work across the island nation, and also internationally, in India, Indonesia, Mauritius, Japan, Pakistan, Fiji, Egypt and Singapore. This included residential, commercial, religious, social, cultural, educational and governmental buildings, in a style that blended modern and traditional, and broke the rigid boundaries of inside and outside, building and landscape. We revisit his legacy, and speak with some of India’s top architects and interior designers on why his works still matter and the lessons we can draw from his designs.
Geoffrey Bawa, photographed working at his home, Lunuganga. “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,” says Mumbai architect Ashiesh Shah.
“I visited Lunuganga this February. The sightline — the clear view of the lake and the estate, no matter where you were — was impressive,” says Mumbai-based interior designer Ravi Vazirani.
One of the wings at Lunuganga. “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,” says Goan architect, Raya Shankhwalker.
One of the many courtyards at Number 11, Colombo, that brought the outdoors inside.
“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 found Number 11 impactful. 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.,” adds Vazirani.
One of the pen-and-ink drawings from the Geoffrey Bawa Archive. These drawings, “in which trees are drawn as specifically as columns, and details from pebbles on pathways to perfectly-located planters” are integral elements rather than adornments, states the bawa100.com website.
Closer home, in Chennai, Bawa's design can be seen at Taj Connemara. “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,” shares Ahmar Siddiqui, General Manager of Taj Connemara.
Geoffrey Bawa clicked at his office, in 1985. The architect did not like to be photographed, so photos like this are rare.
The de Saram house, where Bawa created an ensemble of five linked pavilions separated by courtyards. “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,” says Vikram Phadke, the Chennai-based interior designer.
Inside the de Saram house. “Bawa’s style is so minimalist, with in-built furniture and designs in tune with nature. 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,” says Jyothi, an architect from Kochi, whose designs often take inspiration from Bawa’s.
“It’s hard to miss Bawa’s 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,” saysVikram Goyal, Delhi-based interior and product designer.