»A space that makes you connect with nature puts you at ease.« EN Geoffrey Bawa, one of Asia’s most influen tial modern architects, created spaces where light, landscape, and architecture merge into a deeply sensory experience. For the retrospec tive at the Vitra Design Museum, exhibition cu rator Johan Deurell speaks with co-curator Shayari de Silva of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust about the atmosphere of Bawa’s buildings and the historical forces that shaped his work. Their conversation highlights an approach rooted in context, attuned to nature, and strikingly rele vant today, offering fresh insight into an archi tectural legacy that continues to inspire more responsible and imaginative ways of building.
The subtitle of our exhibition is »Architecture for the Senses«. When you think about Geoffrey Bawa’s work, what is the first image, feeling, or moment that comes to mind? Number 11, Geoffrey’s home in Colombo, served as the Trust’s office for several years. During the six years I worked there, I became fascinated by the way light moved through the house. Its log- gias, courtyards, and skylights act like a collec- tive sundial, shifting over the course of the day to highlight different spaces at different times. The house felt completely transformed, yet equally magical, whether in bright daylight orduring a monsoon downpour. Even though we occupied this relatively small house so often, the experi- ence felt special each time. The same is true of Lunuganga, perhaps even more so, and in fact, of all Bawa’s buildings, though I just speak here about the place I spent the most time in. When a space connects you to nature or natural ele- ments in this way, it situates you and puts you at ease. This is a key part of the singular appeal of Bawa’s work. Over your years at the Geoffrey Bawa Trust, researching and curating his archive as well as leading an oral history project, you must have formed ideas about »GB« the person? As I never met him personally, I rely on the recol- lections of others. The conversations I conducted with many of his colleagues, clients, and friends revealed that he had many facets: for some, an authority in architectural design; for others, a reliable friend and confidant who is deeply missed. At the same time, he was often reserved and private. I am particularly impressed by the clarity and precision of his writing, his ability to express a great deal in very few words, and his wonderful sense of humour.
Detailansicht des Dachs, Neues Parlament von Sri Lanka, Kotte, Sri Lanka, 2026
Could you briefly outline the context for Bawa’s work? Bawa worked during a very challenging period in Sri Lanka – his career starts in 1948, the year that the country gained independence from the British Empire. From 1953 onwards Sri Lanka had a string of insurgencies, riots and a civil war from 1983, which was ongoing when Bawa died in 2003. The socio-political and economic context of these events is layered, and while they are not the focus of the exhibition, we try to unpack the implications on architecture and design for Bawa. It’s very easy to exoticize or fetishize the sensual, low-cost, and local aspects of his work but these qualities were fundamentally a re- sponse to the reality he found himself in. With the exhibition we want to invite global au diences to discover or rediscover Bawa’s work. In your opinion, what are the key characteris tics of his work? Geoffrey Bawa’s buildings are deeply sensual and cinematic: in person, you are completely absorbed by their experience. There is modesty in the structures and finishes that are made of
readily available materials. That perception is then expanded on by the luxury of perfectly framed views, spaces filled with natural light, art, and objects that feel inseparable from the archi- tecture. The multi-faceted richness of this experi- ence is carefully calibrated in Bawa’s approach. His architecture’s response to site and embrace of nature are also key. Bawa was highly attuned to context in every sense: the topography, the climate, and the socio-economic conditions gov- erning a project. By understanding and respond- ing to these aspects of a project, Bawa found a way of building that endures, and continues to inspire more than two decades after his passing. What perspectives do you think visitors will gain through the exhibition? I hope visitors will understand that part of Bawa’s power lay in his ability to bring together collabo- rators across disciplines and draw on their strengths – creating architecture where the whole exceeds the sum of its parts. His work speaks to its time but also feels timeless.
Innenansicht des Plenarsaals, Neues Parlament von Sri Lanka, Kotte, Sri Lanka, 2026
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