Geoffrey Bawa

Geoffrey Manning Bawa, FRIBA was a Sri Lankan architect. He was among the most influential Asian architects of his generation. Bawa could simply be considered equivalent to Sri Lankan Architecture. A lover of nature and his widely accepted concept- 'Tropical Modernism' in Lanka earned him the project- 'The Parliament building of Sri Lanka' which receives appreciation till date. One could say, the hotel tourism today in Lanka sources all credits to Bawa.
Born: 23 July 1919 Colombo, British Ceylon
Died: 27 May 2003 (aged 83) Colombo, Sri Lanka
Education:
Royal College, Colombo
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
Architectural Association School of Architecture
Occupation: Architect
Awards: Aga Khan Chairman's Award
Practice:
Edwards, Reid and Begg
Geoffrey Bawa Associates
Buildings:
Sri Lankan Parliament Building
University of Ruhuna
Heritance Kandalama
Design Philosophy:
Highly personal in his approach, evoking the pleasures of the senses that go hand in hand with the climate, landscape, and culture of ancient Ceylon(present day Sir Lanka).
Brings together an appreciation of the western humanist tradition in architecture with needs and lifestyles of his own country.
The principal force behind tropical modernism.
Work with a sensitivity to site and context.
His designs break down the barriers between inside and outside, between interior design and landscape architecture.
He reduced buildings to a series of scenographically conceived spaces separated by courtyards and gardens.
His ideas are providing a bridge between the past and the future, a mirror in which ordinary people can obtain a clearer image of their own evolving culture.
‘Tropical Modernist’ style:
Respected the site and context
Building had a play of light and shade
Flow of spaces
Used vernacular architecture with the modern concepts to satiate the needs of the urban population
Used salvaged artefacts
Roof forms as elements
Waterbody - an essential part of Bawa’s architecture
Awards:
Pan Pacific Citation, Hawaii Chapter of the American Institute of Architects [1967]
President, Sri Lanka Institute of Architects [1969]
Inaugural Gold Medal at the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects [1982]
Heritage Award of Recognition, for “Outstanding Architectural Design in the Tradition of Local
Vernacular Architecture”, for the new Parliamentary Complex at Sri Jayawardenepura,
Kotte from the Pacific Area Travel Association. [1983]
Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Elected Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects [1983]
Conferred title of Vidya Jodi (Light of Science) in the Inaugural Honours List of the
President of Sri Lanka [1985]
Teaching Fellowship at the Aga Khan Programme for Architecture, at MIT, Boston, USA [1986]
Conferred title Deshamanya (Pride of the Nation) in the Honours List of the President Sri Lanka [1993]
The Grate Master's Award 1996 incorporating South Asian Architecture Award [1996]
The Architect of the Year Award, India [1996]
Asian Innovations Award, Bronze Award - Architecture, Far Eastern Economic Review [1998]
The Chairman's Award of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in recognition of a lifetime's
achievement in and contribution to the field of architecture [2001]
Awarded Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), University of Ruhuna [14 September 2002]
Geoffrey Bawa and Critical Regionalism:
“Bawa gathered around himself a group of designers and artists from many different backgrounds who, inspired by a growing appreciation of the depth and diversity of their own culture and traditions, came together to discover ways of making and doing things which would be new and vital, and yet essentially Sri Lankan”
“... this led to a publication of an anthology that includes… a rich sample of the houses and village temples of the Sinhalese, the Tamils and the Moors. What emerges is a picture of a continuous tradition that retains echoes of the past while incorporating influences from other cultures.”
Geoffrey Bawa and Tropical Modernism:
In his practice, Bawa tried to achieve what The Guardian has called “a new, vital-and yet essentially Sri Lankan-architecture.” Bawa’s search for a way to combine the traditional and the modern attracted the attention of other artists and architects, most notably Ulrik Plesner, who worked with Bawa from 1961 to 1967.
Even in his early work, Bawa's buildings had a Tropical Modernist flair. In the Ena de Silva House (1960), he combined the Modernist tendencies for open floor plans and stark decoration with iconic elements of Colombo manor houses.
Similarly, the Batujimbar Estate (1973) adapts modernist principles to local Bali traditions.
In the Bentota Beach Hotel (1970), Bawa created a resort that referenced its surroundings while allowing for a modern lifestyle.
Quotes:
"Architecture cannot be totally explained but must be experienced."
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