The Trusts

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust is a non-profit organization with charitable status in Sri Lanka that was established in 1982 with the objectives of furthering the fields of Architecture, the Fine Arts and Ecological and Environmental Studies. Since the architect’s passing in 2003, the Trust has sustained year-round public programmes comprising lectures, tours, scholarships, residencies and exhibitions which engage broader discourse on the built environment and the arts in both Sri Lanka and overseas. 

Since their inception, the Trusts have

• Maintained Geoffrey Bawa’s historic residences at Lunuganga and Number 11, and their collections of fine and decorative arts

• Made Lunuganga and Number 11 accessible to the public through daily guided tours and other avenues

• Restored and reconstructed Number 5 at Lunuganga, the house designed by Geoffrey Bawa for Ena de Silva, which involved physically relocating the house from Colombo and reassembling it at its new location

• Overseen the renovation of the Druvi de Saram house in Colombo 7 and undertaken its management and public programmes

• Organised the triennial Geoffrey Bawa Awards, now in its 6th cycle, celebrating and fostering excellence in contemporary Sri Lankan Architecture

• Hosted the Annual Geoffrey Bawa Memorial Lecture, now in its 20th cycle. Past speakers have included Kengo Kuma, Tatiana Bilbao, Sumayya Vally, Marina Tabassum, Cecil Balmond, Bijoy Jain and Abha Lambah

• Established a sanctuary for the endangered Hog Deer species on Honduwa island, Lunuganga in partnership with the Department of Wildlife Conservation; now to be studied scientifically with the University of Sri Jayawardenapura

• Curated the Bawa 100 Centenary Programme; a 2-year programme centred on Bawa’s legacy and collections comprising exhibitions, talks and tours