Number 11, Geoffrey Bawa’s residence in Colombo, is not merely a house; it is a spatial autobiography that documents the evolution of one of the most influential figures in post-independence South Asian architecture. Often cited as the father of “Tropical Modernism,” Bawa’s work deftly mediates between modernist principles and the ecological, cultural, and material conditions of Sri Lanka.
Geoffrey Bawa’s House Technical Information
- Architects1-6: Geoffrey Bawa
- Location: 33rd Lane, Bagatelle Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Original Structure Built: ca. 1910s (as row houses)
- Built Area: 400 m² | 4,300 ft²
- Renovation / Transformation Period: 1959 – 1998
- Photographs: © Harry Crowder, © Ashish Shah
It was never designed; it just happened.
– Geoffrey Bawa 7
Geoffrey Bawa’s House Photographs
Genesis of Number 11
Situated along Bagatelle Road in a densely built-up residential district, the house is the product of gradual and intuitive expansion. Acquired in 1959, what began as a single terrace house was incrementally extended over 40 years into a labyrinthine composition that merges four adjacent row houses. This incremental process reflects Bawa’s resistance to the fixed and formal architectural gestures favoring adaptive transformation. This ethos finds resonance in the regional realities of resourcefulness and fluidity.
In many ways, Number 11 is the most distilled expression of Bawa’s architectural philosophy. It is not a manifesto but a subtle negotiation between form and environment, art and life, privacy and openness. Its creation parallels Sri Lanka’s post-colonial architectural search for identity, and its informality challenges conventional hierarchies of space and function.
Spatial Strategy and Programmatic Fluidity
Bawa approached the transformation of Number 11 as a continuous design process, an act of architectural layering rather than a singular act of authorship. Each addition or modification, often made in response to changing needs or artistic impulses, is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the existing structure. The result is an intricate spatial sequence that invites movement, pause, and reflection.
The plan of Number 11 resists clear demarcations between inside and outside. Instead, it embraces ambiguity and permeability. Courtyards, open-air corridors, and lush gardens interweave with interior volumes to create a series of microclimates within the home. This spatial porosity enables passive cooling and natural ventilation, making the architecture climatically responsive without technological dependence.
Circulation throughout the house is intentionally oblique. Views are framed and veiled through layered thresholds, wooden screens, foliage, and pivoting walls, inviting a processional experience. Spatial transitions are not merely functional but atmospheric; one moves from darkness into light, enclosure into openness, in a sequence more akin to choreography than traditional circulation.
Programmatically, the house is fluid. The boundaries between domestic, studio, and display functions are deliberately soft. Bawa’s bedroom adjoins a library, leading to a sitting room filled with artworks and artifacts. The domestic realm becomes a testing ground for architectural ideas, art installations, and social engagements. In this way, Number 11 transcends the role of a private residence and becomes a lived archive of architectural experimentation.
Material Palette and Construction Logic
Bawa’s approach to materiality in Number 11 is grounded in what could be described as tactile modernism. Rather than assert monumentality, the house engages with the sensory and the intimate. Materials are selected not for their grandeur but for their resonance with local traditions and environmental logic.
The predominant materials are whitewashed plaster, timber louver panels, polished concrete, and terra-cotta tiles, which form a restrained palette that emphasizes texture, light, and shadow. Each surface is designed to age gracefully, absorbing time as a material in itself. The use of local materials and craftsmanship reflects Bawa’s belief in architecture as a situated act that is inseparable from place.
Architectural detailing is subdued but deliberate. Walls are thick and tactile, allowing for deep-set niches and recessed lighting. Openings are modulated to frame specific views of foliage, courtyards, or artworks. Pivots, not hinges, define door movements as an intentional softening of transitions. The interplay of vegetation and structure reinforces the sense of dwelling as something that emerges from, rather than sits upon, the landscape.
Perhaps most notably, light is treated as a primary material. Skylights, clerestories, and filtered apertures animate the house throughout the day, casting shifting patterns across the floors and walls. In the absence of ornate decoration, light and shadow furnish the space.
Geoffrey Bawa’s House Plans
Geoffrey Bawa’s House Image Gallery
About Geoffrey Bawa
Geoffrey Bawa (1919–2003) was a Sri Lankan architect renowned for pioneering Tropical Modernism, a design approach that harmonizes modernist principles with the local climate, landscape, and culture. His work spans residential, institutional, and resort architecture and is celebrated for its seamless integration of indoor and outdoor spaces, sensitivity to context, and poetic use of light and material. Bawa’s legacy continues to influence architects across Asia and beyond, positioning him as one of the most significant figures in 20th-century architecture.
Credits and Additional Notes
Client: Geoffrey Bawa
Design Team: Geoffrey Bawa (solo work, later supported by his studio staff)
Landscape Design: Integrated by Geoffrey Bawa
Current Status: Preserved and managed by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust
- Site Area: Approx. 740 m² (7,965 ft²) (a combined lot of four-row houses)
Use: Former private residence; currently open to the public as a house museum
- Geoffrey Bawa: The Complete Works, November 17, 2002, by Geoffrey Bawa and David Robson
