Number 11
Colombo 03
Number 11 House Tours
Address:
No.11, 33rd Lane, Bagatelle Road, Colombo 03
Number 11 may only be visited by joining one of the Trust's guided tours, available at the times listed below.
Please note that to preserve the premises for future generations and help conserve our collections, tour numbers are limited in size and tickets are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Kindly note that if the Guest Suite is occupied by overnight visitors, it will not be shown during the tour. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience.
Visit Times
Monday to Friday: 10.00 a.m. | 2.00 p.m. | 3.30 p.m.
Saturday: 11.00 a.m. | 4.00 p.m.
Sunday: 11.00 a.m. only
Tour duration: 45 minutes
Reservations are encouraged.
Entrance Fee
Local rate: LKR 2500
Foreign rate: LKR 5000
Local student rate: LKR 500 (must be carrying a valid student ID)
Free admission for CiMAM members carrying a valid membership
Appointments by email: admin@geoffreybawa.org
Telephone: +94 (11) 4337335 (Weekdays 9 a.m.– 4 p.m.)
Mobile/Whatsapp: +94 777 323978
Private tours
Private tours by Trust curators can be arranged by prior appointment, subject to availability of staff, for a fee of LKR 80,000/- per tour, for a maximum of 4 people, LKR 10,000/- for any additional people, upto 20 max.
Photography
Personal photography is allowed without the use of flash or tripods of the entrance, hallway, office, guest suite and terrace; publication or commercial use of photographs is only permissible if expressed approval has been obtained from the Geoffrey Bawa Trust.
Accessibility
We welcome visitors with disabilities but there are steps throughout the house so not every part of the interior will be accessible to all. Regretfully, due to layout, the house is inaccessible for wheelchairs. Please let us know about any special requirements in advance and we’ll try to make your visit as enjoyable as possible.
All proceeds from private tours support the education and preservation mission of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust which is a non-profit organization with charitable status in Sri Lanka.
Number 11
At the end of a cul-de-sac on 33rd Lane, under the breezy shade of a frangipani (Plumeria rubra) tree, Geoffrey Bawa’s Colombo residence stands as a living testament to the late architect’s life and legacy.
Number 11 began as the third row house in a set of four, which Bawa rented from lawyer, writer, and patron of the arts Harold Peiris in 1959. Within ten years, he had purchased the complete quartet and undertaken an extensive renovation to create the property that exists today, one containing all the “essentials of life in Sri Lanka.” The home’s gradual evolution is an homage to Bawa’s process, which he sums up by explaining, “When one delights as much as I do in planning a building and having it built I find it impossible to describe the exact steps in an analytical or dogmatic way.”
The house expands and contracts as one moves through it; a narrow entryway unfolds into a broad living space, which compresses again through enclaves including the bedroom and dining area. Bawa lived in this introspective house in parallel with Lunuganga, where vistas and open spaces abound.
Number 11 is a physical manifestation of the creativity that surrounded Bawa in the post-independence era, a thoughtful meditation on space & light, and an emblem of what he simply called “good Sri Lankan architecture.”
Stay at Number 11
The Geoffrey Bawa residence is considered a special architectural marvel which also houses art and artifacts from the collection of the Late Archt. Geoffrey Bawa. Whist the Geoffrey Bawa Trust endeavours to encourage stays for those enthusiasts of Architecture and the Art, it is important to note that this residence is not run as a regular hotel.
The two rooms available are within a suite on the 1st floor. They are attached and come with one common bathroom and a sitting room. The 3rd floor is a loggia and the 4this an open viewing deck.
The rooms are given only to a single party at any one time.
We welcome visitors with disabilities but there are steps throughout the house so not every part of the interior will be accessible to all. There are very few handrails on the property. Regretfully, due to stairs, the Guest Suite on the first floor and the Terrace on the third floor are inaccessible for wheelchairs. Please let us know about any special requirements in advance and we’ll try to make your visit as enjoyable as possible.
For inquiries and reservations: admin@gbtrust.net