Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa,
FRIBA
(1919–2003) is the most renowned architect
in Sri
Lanka
and was among the most influential architects in
southeast Asia in the last decades of the 20th century, he is the
principal force behind what is today known globally as ‘tropical
modernism’.
Early life
Geoffrey Bawa was born in 1919 to wealthy parents of mixed European
and Ceylonese descent.
He was educated at the prestigious Royal
College
after which he studied English and Law at Cambridge
gaining a BA
(English Literature Tripos) and went on to study law at Middle Temple
, London
becoming a
Barrister in 1944. Returning to
Ceylon after the war he started working for a Colombo Law firm. But
soon he left to travel for two years, almost settling in Italy.
Only after this did he turned to architecture at the age of
38.
Career in architecture
He became apprenticed to the architectural practice of Edwards Reid
and Begg in Colombo after he advanced his education in architecture
by gaining a Diploma in Architecture from Architectural
Association, London in 1956 and in the following year he became an
Associate of the
Royal Institute of British
Architects whereupon he returned to Ceylon becoming a partner
of Messrs. Edwards, Reid and Begg, Colombo in 1958. Bawa became an
Associate of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects in 1960. An
ensuing close association with a coterie of like-minded artists and
designers, including Ena de Silva, Barbara Sansoni and Laki
Senanayake, produced a new awareness of indigenous materials and
crafts, leading to a post colonial renaissance of culture.
Notable Buildings

Simamalaka shrine of the Gangaramaya
Temple
Private Homes
Awards and Fellowships
- 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
Jothi (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 th September
2002 )
References
- Aesthetic Recollections Newindpress on
Sunday
- Beyond vernacular kitsch? The Sunday Times
Online
- Legacy of a master The Sunday Times
Online
External links