Beyond Bawa

Description

Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa was among the most influential figures in south Asia. In houses, hotels, public buildings and his country estate at Lunuganga, Bawa achieved the harmonious and pleasurable fusion of local building traditions with modern forms. His forty-year career has become legendary across the world and remains an inspiration for generations of architects.

Bawa was the principal force behind what is today known globally as ‘tropical modernism’, and examples of his ideas can be found in Sri Lanka, Singapore and Bali but also throughout wider Asia. Beyond Bawa considers his continuing influence through the work of contemporary architects working in the region.

The first section of the book is an overview of Bawa and his contribution to contemporary architecture which presents material that has come to light since the publication of Geoffrey Bawa: The Complete Works. The main section is the presentation of twenty-four contemporary architects, ranging from well-known practitioners such as Australian Kerry Hill to local talents such as Anjalendran, and works they have created over the past ten years that reveal the long-lasting significance of Bawa’s uniquely sensitive approach to building and the landscape.