Becky and I spent much of the last two days marveling at the architecture and layout of the Heritance Kandalama, the hotel we stayed at in Dambulla. It was recommended to us by Sri Lankan friends who all testified to the genius of its design, and we were delighted to wander through it, because everywhere you went was picturesque and offered a unique perspective on the beauty of the natural landscape you're a part of. This incredible building was designed by Geoffrey Bawa, one of the most influential Asian architects of the last century, who left a deep legacy on design and architecture in Sri Lanka that the country's residents are quite proud of. I would be too, if I was Sri Lankan. This man was way ahead of his time, and his pioneering "regional modernist" approach was rooted in the idea of "sustainability" long before the word became commonplace. His legacy is deep and expansive, and his biography is really amazing as well. He was trained as a lawyer and didn't start his career as an architect until he was 37 years old, but once he did, he produced a series of stunning creations that remain hugely influential to generations of architects and designers. Below are some of his buildings in Sri Lanka. For more on this man, check out this book or his website, which was set up following his passing in 2003. It was an honor and a privilege to walk through one of his visionary buildings...
Lunuganga Estate, Bawa's country home in Bentota, Sri Lanka
Light House Hotel, Galle, Sri Lanka
Hotel Serendib, Sri Lanka
Artist's rendering of Sri Lanka's National Parliament, created by Geoffrey Bawa
Here's a link to more about Bawa. There's no shortage of sites dedicated to Bawa's legacy worth checking out. His prolific life's work cannot be summarized in something as simple and superficial as a blog post.
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