Geoffrey Bawa.

Geoffrey Bawa (1910–2003) is one of the most influential architects in 20th-century Asia.

With more than 200 projects, he shaped the architecture of post-colonial Sri Lanka, creating a diverse body of work encompassing hotels, residential buildings, schools, universities, factories, office buildings, and the Sri Lankan National Assembly. Working closely with local craftspeople, Bawa is considered the father of a tropical modernist architecture that sensitively adapts to the climate, landscape, and social context. Many of his buildings continue to inspire generations of architects in their exploration of how to combine traditional building forms with modern architecture. In 2026, the Vitra Design Museum and the M+ Museum in Hong Kong will present the first major retrospective of Bawa's work. An unprecedented wealth of drawings, models, furniture, photographs, and films will bring Bawa's fascinatingly sensual architecture to life—from his early modernist buildings to experimental and, in some cases, previously unknown projects from his later period. Bawa worked closely with local craftspeople and is considered the father of a tropical modernist architecture that sensitively adapts to the climate, landscape, and social context. Many of his buildings continue to inspire generations of architects today, inspiring them to combine traditional building forms with modern architecture.

An exhibition by the Vitra Design Museum, the M+ in cooperation with the Geoffrey Bawa Trust