Highlights
- Begun in 1958 as a small house and joined with others over time
- Bawa's bedroom and study are kept as he left them
- A guest suite lets visitors stay inside the house
- Courtyards, light and art show his architectural ideas
Overview
Geoffrey Bawa (1919 to 2003) is Sri Lanka's most celebrated architect and a leading figure of what is now called tropical modernism, an approach that blends modern design with local climate, materials and tradition. His Colombo home, Number 11, 33rd Lane, in Kollupitiya, is open to visitors on guided tours.
Bawa's story
Bawa first trained and worked as a lawyer, but he found the law unappealing and travelled widely. Back in Sri Lanka, he bought an old estate near Bentota, Lunuganga, intending to make an Italian-style garden. Realising he needed to learn architecture, he studied in England and qualified in the late 1950s. Over the next decades, he designed houses, hotels, schools, offices and public buildings, including the Parliament of Sri Lanka, as well as projects in other countries in Asia and beyond.
The house
In 1958, Bawa bought one of four small bungalows at the end of a narrow lane and turned it into a small apartment. Over the next years, he bought the others and joined them together, adding a dining room, living rooms and courtyards. The first house was later rebuilt as a four-storey tower with a roof terrace. The result is a maze of rooms, small gardens, light wells and corridors, filled with his collection of art, furniture and objects.
The house has been kept largely as Bawa left it, so visitors see how he lived and worked.
The tour
Visits are by guided tour, at set times, and must usually be booked in advance through the Geoffrey Bawa Trust or the house. Tours last about an hour. Check current times and prices before going.
When to go
Any time of year, by booking.
Getting there
33rd Lane is off Bagatalle Road in Kollupitiya (Colombo 3), a short tuk-tuk ride from Galle Road.
Practical tips
- Photography rules may apply inside; ask on arrival.
- The lane is narrow; drivers may drop you at the end.
- Combine with his former office, now a cafe and gallery.
See the Bawa office, the Parliament, and his country garden at Lunuganga. See things to do in Colombo and Colombo hotels.
Related posts
Fa Hien Cave
Fa Hien Cave, or Pahiyangala, is a huge rock shelter near Bulathsinhala, inland from Kalutara. It has evidence of prehistoric human occupation, and a temple now stands in the cave.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Mulkirigala Rajamaha Viharaya
Mulkirigala is a group of Buddhist cave temples on a tall rock inland from Tangalle. Steps lead up past shrines with paintings and reclining Buddhas to a summit with wide views.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Day Trip To Munneswaram Temple
Visit Munneswaram, near Chilaw, one of the most important Hindu temples in Sri Lanka, dedicated to Shiva and linked to the Ramayana.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Jaffna Archaeological Museum
The Jaffna Archaeological Museum in Nallur displays finds from the north, including Buddhist and Hindu statues, coins and pottery. It is a short visit that adds depth to a day in the city.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Richmond Castle
Richmond Castle is a grand early 20th century mansion near Kalutara, set in gardens by the Kalu Ganga. Built for a local Mudaliyar, it mixes Indian and European styles.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Akurugoda Stone Inscriptions
Akurugoda, near Tissamaharama, is one of the places in the old kingdom of Ruhuna where early writing cut in stone can be seen. The inscriptions are an important source for the island's early history.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Fort Frederick
Fort Frederick guards the headland between Trincomalee town and its harbour. Still used by the army, it is open to visitors walking through to the Koneswaram temple, with spotted deer grazing inside.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Yattala Vehera
Yattala Vehera is an ancient stupa on the edge of Tissamaharama, traditionally dated to around 2,300 years ago. It is surrounded by an elephant wall and the remains of an old monastery.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil
Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam, also known as the Captain's Garden temple, is widely described as the oldest Hindu temple in Colombo.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Ritigala Mountains and Monastery
Ritigala is an isolated mountain range between Anuradhapura and Habarana. Its forested slopes hide the ruins of an ancient forest monastery with stone paths and meditation platforms.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Adam’s Bridge
Adam's Bridge, also called Rama Setu, is a chain of shoals and sandbanks running about 30 km from Mannar to Rameswaram in India. In the Ramayana it is the bridge built by Rama's army.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Abhayagiri Monastery Complex
Abhayagiri was the largest monastery of ancient Anuradhapura, covering around 200 hectares. See its great stupa, the Twin Ponds and the Samadhi Buddha.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Aukana Buddha Statue
The Aukana Buddha is a standing statue about 12 metres tall, carved from a granite rock face near the Kala Wewa reservoir. It is one of the finest ancient statues in Sri Lanka.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Tissamaharama Raja Maha Viharaya
The Tissamaharama Raja Maha Viharaya is the main temple of the old southern capital of Ruhuna. Its great white stupa is the largest in the south of the island.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Kalutara Bodhiya
The Kalutara Bodhiya, beside the Galle Road at the mouth of the Kalu Ganga, is one of the most visited Buddhist sites on the west coast. Visitors can enter its hollow white stupa.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Kirinda Vihara Maha Devi Temple
Kirinda Raja Maha Viharaya is a Buddhist temple on a large rock by the sea at Kirinda, near Yala. It is linked to Viharamahadevi, the mother of King Dutugemunu, who in legend came ashore here.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba
Ruwanwelisaya, the Great Stupa, is one of the most sacred stupas in Sri Lanka, built by King Dutugemunu. Its white dome is surrounded by a wall of elephant sculptures.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Isinbassagala Ruwangiri Rajamaha Viharaya
Isinbassagala Ruwangiri Rajamaha Viharaya is a Buddhist temple on a rock outcrop beside the A9 road near Medawachchiya. Climb to the top for wide views over the dry zone.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Elephant Pass
Elephant Pass is the causeway that carries the A9 road and the railway across the lagoon between the Jaffna peninsula and the mainland. It was a key battleground in the civil war and has a war memorial.
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Nallur Kovil
Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, dedicated to Lord Murugan, is the most important Hindu temple in Jaffna. Visit during a puja, and come in July or August for its 25-day festival; men remove their shirts to enter.
Image Credit: ShutterStock