An architect that garnered immense respect, Geoffrey Bawa has brought great pride to Sri Lanka. Let’s look at his life and his achievements along with the legacy left behind.

1) Beginnings

Born in July 1919, Geoffrey Bawa was the son of Justice B.W.Bawa, a successful and wealthy lawyer of English and Muslim parentage. Bawa’s mother was Bertha Marianne Schrader, a woman of Scottish, German and Sri Lankan descent. Bevis Bawa was Geoffrey Bawa’s older brother and a renowned landscape architect.

2) Education

Having received his primary education at the Royal College, Colombo, Geoffrey Bawa went on to study both English and Law in 1938 at St Catherine’s College in Cambridge. After the second World War, he came back to Ceylon and worked at a law firm in Colombo. Bawa then returned to England and enrolled in the Architectural Association in London where he gained a Diploma in Architecture.

3) Career

Geoffrey Bawa’s portfolio included a wide variety of work that spanned various buildings ranging from social, cultural, religious, educational, commercial, governmental and residential interest. If you’re looking for a luxury villa, Sri Lanka has many, especially ones with Geoffrey Bawa inspired architecture like the Anantara Kalutara Resort for example.

4) Influence

Geoffrey Bawa’s designs have influenced a generation of architects both in Sri Lanka and across the world. Many modern buildings in Sri Lanka have taken inspiration from his key projects and incorporated them into their own designs.

Damon Starky is a creative nomadic travel writer, who is well informed and experienced on a wide range of interests that would connect to the needs of any type of traveler. Google+