Domus Srilanka - November 2015

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As an architect of Danish descent with no ties to Sri Lanka, Ulrik Plesner’s time in Sri Lanka during the periods between 1958-1967 and 1982-1987 transformed and even set a precedent in the field of architecture in Sri Lanka.

In the early 1960s, Anura Ratnavibushana was a student of Ulrik Plesner enrolled in the pioneer course in architecture at the Institute of Practical Technology in Katubedde – what is now the University of Moratuwa. Ratnavibushana later worked at Edward Reid and Begg, the architectural firm run by partners Geoffrey Bawa and Ulrik Plesner. Drawing from his many encounters working as a student and as an architect for his mentors, Ratnavibushana shares his views on how Plesner’s ethos and approach to the craft and practice of architecture have irrevocably shaped his own.

Ulrik Plesner’s architectural work in Sri Lanka was not only about the vernacular. He did not hesitate to use new methods or introduce novel concepts to design that represented his freedom of thought. Each building was different from the next and his speciality was not restricted to a certain type of building.

Ulrik’s Israeli ‘chapter’ began 43 years ago. It constituted the majority of his adult life and had a significant influence both on him and on the local Israeli architectural scene.