Lunuganga
"A place of continued varied sensations"
The 25 acres of garden at Lunuganga is the creation of one man’s vision which, over 40 years, was nurtured into a reality. After purchasing an abandoned rubber estate in 1948, Geoffrey Bawa created this tropical garden idyll. The Italian inspired gardens, with spectacular views over the lake and tropical jungle, has been transformed into a series of outdoor rooms creating a huge feeling of space with vistas that have been carefully chosen to emphasize their beauty with points of architecture and art; from entrances, pavilions, broad walks to a multitude of courtyards and pools.
Guests at Lunuganga have the privilege of wandering the gardens aimlessly, picnicking in one of many romantic and private pockets or sitting reading, writing or painting in such an inspiring environment.
During the months of November to April, the gardens are not open to the public.
"one of the most exciting moments was the opening up of vistas..not based on prearranged formality..the garden planned itself" Geoffrey Bawa
Visit :: http://www.lunuganga.net/lunuganga.html
Geoffrey Bawa
Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa is the most renowned architect in Sri Lanka and was among the most influential architects in Southeast Asia in the last decades of the 20th century, he is the principal force behind what is today known globally as ‘tropical modernism’.
Geoffrey Bawa was born in 1919 to wealthy parents of mixed European and Ceylonese descent. He was educated at Royal College after which he studied English at Cambridge University gaining a BA (English Literature Tripos) and went on to study law at Middle Temple, London becoming a Barrister in 1944. Returning to Ceylon after the war he started working for a Colombo Law firm. But soon he left to travel for two years, almost settling in Italy. Only after this did he turned to architecture at the age of 38.
He became apprenticed to the architectural practice of Edwards Reid and Begg in Colombo after he advanced his education in architecture by gaining a Diploma in Architecture from Architectural Association, London in 1956 and in the following year he became an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects where upon he returned to Ceylon becoming a partner of Messrs. Edwards, Reid and Begg, Colombo in 1958. Bawa became an Associate of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects in 1960. An ensuing close association with a coterie of like-minded artists and designers, including Ena de Silva, Barbara Sansoni and Laki Senanayake, produced a new awareness of indigenous materials and crafts, leading to a post colonial renaissance of culture.
Visit :: www.geoffreybawa.com
