Geoffrey Bawa (1919–2003)

Recognised as one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century, Geoffrey Manning Bawa (July 23, 1919—May 27, 2003) was peerless within his craft. Bawa was born in Sri Lanka and enrolled in London’s Architectural Association School of Architecture between 1954 and 1957. His own mixed ancestry and extensive travels informed his unique approach to history, viewing the past as layered and multi-faceted. His prolific practice revived the indigenous sensibility of honouring, contextualising, and welcoming the external world; his reverence for Sri Lanka’s lush landscape is deeply entrenched in his work. Bawa’s architectural career produced 200 original designs until his passing at age eighty-three. Geoffrey Bawa remains one of Sri Lanka's most remarkable architects and an inimitable artistic visionary.