Inside Out

With his easy, breezy buildings, Geoffrey Bawa changed the face of Sri Lankan architecture. Sarah Souli tours his most storied properties.

- Sarah Souli

FROM THE OUTSIDE, the Colombo house of Geoffrey Bawa, the late Sri Lankan architect and pioneer of tropical modernism, does not command much attention. Bleary-eyed from our long-haul flight, my friend Maia and I nearly walked past the white, cube-shaped building, which is partially obscured by trees. But we were soon warmly greeted by an attendant, who slid open a mahogany door to reveal a garage, complete with Bawa's 1934 Rolls-Royce. We slipped off our shoes and began speaking in hushed tones: even Bawa's garage called for a templelike reverence.

No. 11 (doubles from $143), named after its address on Bagatelle Road, is located in the genteel Kollupitiya district. It's open to the public for tours; a two-bedroom suite - Bawa's guest room is also available for overnight stays for design devotees like me. The room was still occupied when we arrived, so we padded down a white corridor, the eggshell paint reflecting sunlight and creating a mini hall of mirrors. At the end, a sitting room looked out to a small garden that lulled us with the sounds of rustling palms and trickling water.