Bawa, Geoffrey (1919–2003)

Sri Lankan architect. His buildings are a contemporary interpretation of vernacular traditions, and include houses, hotels, and gardens. His first major commission came in 1979, with the design of the new parliamentary complex at Kotte, near Colombo. During the 1980s he designed the new Ruhuana University (1984), near Matara, where pavilions and courtyards are dramatically arranged on a pair of rocky hills overlooking the Indian Ocean.

In 2002, Bawa received one of architecture's highest honours when the Aga Khan gave him a special Chairman's Award for Lifetime Achievement. A severe stroke in 1998 had ended his active career.