Geoffrey Bawa Trust

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust is delighted to host renowned designer, publisher and educator Lars Müller for a conversation about making books. Lars works out of Zurich and has been publishing since 1983, with a focus on books on architecture, design, photography, art and society.

In 2019, as part of the artistic programme commemorating Geoffrey Bawa’s 100th birthday, Lunuganga hosted a series of installations by artists and makers from Sri Lanka and abroad, in a series where the garden was explored as a site of hospitality and a place of encounter. Each artist responded to Bawa’s practice and his garden through a unique, site-specific work developed over an almost two-year period. Launched in January 2020 on the cusp of a global pandemic, the works endured a time of unprecedented uncertainty, and offered pause for reflection on the meanings of generosity and intimacy.

Marking the closing of The Gift, the five artists, Kengo Kuma, Lee Mingwei, Chandragupta Thenuwara, Dayanita Singh and Dominic Sansoni will speak with Suhanya Raffel, (Executive Director at M+ Museum in Hong Kong and trustee, Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trust) about their experiences and processes making and engaging with work in this last year.

'Conversations Drawing from the Geoffrey Bawa Archives' is a virtual series of discussions between scholars who have engaged with the Bawa Archives and contributed to the upcoming publication 'It is Essential to be There: Drawing from the Geoffrey Bawa Archives'. The publication will accompany the forthcoming exhibition of the same name. Stay tuned for more information on both the book and exhibition.

In this conversation 'Maps and Modernism', the speakers explore the creation of a sense of place in Bawa’s work, Jyoti Dhar looks at ways of drawing Lunuganga particularly, and Sean Anderson examines relationships with Modern Architecture.

Jyoti Dhar | Lore of Lunuganga

Sean Anderson | Vanishing Points

Moderated by Shayari de Silva

Watch this presentation on our YouTube Channel:

www.youtube.com/geoffreybawatrust

'Conversations Drawing from the Geoffrey Bawa Archives' is a virtual series of discussions between scholars who have engaged with the Bawa Archives and contributed to the upcoming publication 'It is Essential to be There: Drawing from the Geoffrey Bawa Archives'. The publication will accompany the forthcoming exhibition of the same name. Stay tuned for more information on both the book and exhibition.

In this conversation 'Resorts, Reports and Recollections', Shirley Surya and Meghal Perera use the archives to look at the Batujimbar Development in Bali and the Galle Face Green specifically, and they are joined by Channa Daswatte who shared first-hand anecdotes to discuss the role of the drawings in Bawa’s practice.

Shirley Surya | Place, Flows, and Transformations – Bawa in Bali

Meghal Perera | The Unbuilt Urban in Bawa’s Galle Face Green Report

Channa Daswatte | Drawing Stories

Moderated by Shayari de Silva

Watch this presentation on our YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/geoffreybawatrust

'Conversations Drawing from the Geoffrey Bawa Archives' is a virtual series of discussions between scholars who have engaged with the Bawa Archives and contributed to the upcoming publication 'It is Essential to be There: Drawing from the Geoffrey Bawa Archives'. The publication will accompany the forthcoming exhibition of the same name. Stay tuned for more information on both the book and exhibition.

In this conversation 'Archives and Places', Shayari de Silva and Tariq Jazeel present their research about the Bawa Archives and the role of such repositories in studying Modern Architectural history.

Shayari de Silva | It is Essential to be There

Tariq Jazeel | Rendering Place

Moderated by Thilini Perera

Watch this presentation on our YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/geoffreybawatrust

The brilliant engineer Dr. K. Poologasundram began consulting with Geoffrey Bawa informally in 1960 while the latter was working with the State Cement Corporation and by 1966 they were equal partners at Edwards Reid and Begg. They would go on to run the firm together for 3 decades. Dr. K. Poologasundram’s engineering prowess helped bring Geoffrey’s designs to life and in our interview he reminisces about projects including the Parliament, Bentota Beach Hotel and Ruhunu University.

Curator, Shayari de Silva met Dr. K. Poologasundram at his home in Colombo, a short walk away from their former office situated at No. 2 Alfred House Road. He speaks about the rewarding and challenging nature of working with a uniquely gifted architect like Geoffrey. Dr. K. Poologasundram’s shared stories on how to operate a practice, and it was clear that the implicit understanding between him and Geoffrey on the creative and organizational requirements of architecture was what allowed them to realize so many incredible buildings together.

The Oral Histories Project is an ongoing endeavour that will continue after the centenary year celebrations, and the Trust encourages submissions of potential historians and anecdotes to [email protected].

This special episode on our Oral Histories podcast series features a conversation with 4 close friends–architects Amila de Mel, Channa Daswatte, Jaime de la Pena and Sumangala Jayathilake. The conversation takes place at Number 11, Geoffrey Bawa’s residence, in the office; the same space in which they all worked with Geoffrey as young architects in the late ’80s and early ’90s. They discussed their experience of working on landmark projects such as the Kandalama Hotel and the Singapore Cloud Centre, and the atmosphere of working in the office at this time; the last phase of Bawa’s practice and a unique period in which several important projects were designed.

The Oral Histories Project is an ongoing endeavour that will continue after the centenary year celebrations, and the Trust encourages submissions of potential historians and anecdotes to [email protected].

Channa Daswatte is the current Chairperson of the Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trusts. Channa worked with Geoffrey in his later years, starting with the landmark project which is the Kandalama Hotel. He was also an equal partner in Geoffrey Bawa Associates, which was founded after the closure of Edwards, Reid & Begg.

Channa, together with Murad Ismail, then went on to set up the practice MICD Associates. The practice is responsible for many iconic buildings both in Sri Lanka and overseas, most recently having completed the renovation of the Bentota Beach Hotel. He is the author of the publications ‘Sri Lanka Style: Tropical Design & Architecture’ and ‘Colonial Period Furniture in the Geoffrey Bawa Collection’. Channa recalls with humour and detail, the experience of being a young architect in Geoffrey’s office, while shedding light on Geoffrey’s process of design, including the theatricality of his conception of space and place.

The Oral Histories Project is an ongoing endeavour that will continue after the centenary year celebrations, and the Trust encourages submissions of potential historians and anecdotes to [email protected].

Philip Fowler was one of the four young Indian architects who were hired by Geoffrey Bawa’s practice, Edwards, Reid and Begg in the 1980s to assist on the design of the new Sri Lankan Parliament. Philip ended up staying on for 7 years; working  on the Triton Hotel, the Druvi de Saram house and the Horagolla Stables, amongst other projects.

He returned to India in 1987 and joined Sankar & Associates. In 2007, Philip, together with his wife Mini, founded the practice Fowler & Fowler. Philip is a keen conservationist and completed the listing of the major heritage buildings of Coimbatore for the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, and was instrumental in saving the (now restored) Victoria Town Hall from destruction. Philip recounts many amusing stories from his time at Edwards, Reid and Begg and speaks about the symbiotic relationship between Geoffrey and his partner at the firm, Dr. Poologasundaram.

The Oral Histories Project is an ongoing endeavour that will continue after the centenary year celebrations, and the Trust encourages submissions of potential historians and anecdotes to [email protected].

Suhanya Raffel and her husband Michael Snelling; Suhanya is the executive director of the M+ Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District of Hong Kong, and a Trustee of the Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trusts. She has previously held many senior positions at major art institutions in Sydney and Brisbane. Growing up in the Raffel House that was designed by Geoffrey, Suhanya reflects on her friendship with the architect who became a lifelong family friend after the commission of the house.

Michael Snelling has an extensive professional background in arts management, artistic direction and education. Most recently, he was Director and CEO of the National Art School in Sydney. He was founding director of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair and Artistic Director of the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane.

He is also a photographer, writer and curator, and has held lecturing positions at universities in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. He has been publisher and editor of titles in the areas of art history and criticism and numerous exhibition catalogues. Michael Snelling recalls an amusing story from his first meeting with Geoffrey and of the ease in which he is able to photograph spaces designed by the architect.

In this episode, you will hear excerpts from my interviews with Suhanya and Michael individually first and then together.

The Oral Histories Project is an ongoing endeavour that will continue after the centenary year celebrations, and the Trust encourages submissions of potential historians and anecdotes to [email protected].