Geoffrey Bawa is probably the most celebrated and influential Asian architects of the twentieth century. Sadly, I knew little about his work and his life until I began researching for my recent dispatch to Sri Lanka earlier last month.
Bawa was born to European parents in British Ceylon (the name Sri Lanka was referred to as during the days of the British Empire). Before he became an architect, however, he abandoned a career as a lawyer in London and eventually settled down in Sri Lanka to pursue his dreams.
I felt inspired by his life and especially his unusual start as an architect, so when I got the rare opportunity to visit and photograph”Number 11″ – the last house Bawa lived and worked in before his death in 2003, I jumped on it. Bawa used his home as a canvas for architectural exploration and kept expanding the interior space by joining four neighboring bungalows over a course of several decades. The resultant masterpiece is truly one of a kind that blends Western design elements with traditional Sri Lankan architecture. For more about Geoffrey Bawa, please visit www.geoffreybawa.com
Also, some images from the shoot are below. Enjoy the tour!
