Join Geoffrey Bawa Trust Chairperson Channa Daswatte for a tour of Lunuganga!
Geoffrey Bawa purchased a neglected rubber plantation on Sri Lanka’s south coast in Bentota, in January 1948, on the eve of Sri Lanka’s independence from British colonial rule. From the onset, Bawa was intent on finding a land with a connection to the water, and it took a considerable search to arrive at Lunuganga. Upon seeing the land, Bawa at once knew that with some operations, it could be transformed as he envisioned.
The salty water of the lake, which is actually a lagoon branching from the Bentota River, explains Bawa’s name for the garden; “lunu-ganga” or “salt-river”. Bawa also lowered the ridge of the hill here to be able to catch a glimpse of the water at the far end and placed a large antique Chinese jar whose silhouette catches the eye as it sweeps over the hill towards the southern horizon.
Bawa continued to shape and change Lunuganga until the very end of his practice; when he was taken ill and immobile. In fact, he continued to spend time in the gardens even in the final stages of his life; and the soothing qualities of the place prevail even today. It is both an ever-transient place and one where time stands still; a subtle change in the position of the sun or the direction of the wind will completely change the dance of the leaves at Lunuganga and its entire atmosphere. Yet it feels as though the gardens have always been there, we feel assured that it will remain.
Channa Daswatte joined Geoffrey Bawa’s architecture practice in 1991 and was the last partner of the firm. In 1998, he established MICD Associates, where he is a principal, in partnership with Murad Ismail. Channa was the Chairperson of the Galle Heritage Foundation and has worked on a number of architectural, conservation and curatorial projects, including the 'Corridors of Power' installation which was exhibited at the Dhaka Art Summit in 2018. Channa authored and edited Sri Lanka Style (2005), has written for and edited a number of publications including A+U and Sri Lanka Institute of Architects’ Journal. Channa is the Chairperson of the Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trusts.