Bawa's Lasagna and Gin and Tonic

I traveled to Sri Lanka on business for the first time in a while. The purpose of my visit was to inspect the construction of Sri Lanka Wakana, designed by us, which was approaching its final stage. After arriving at the airport in Colombo at night, I headed straight to the construction site to check the lighting. I carefully examined how the light fell on each individual palm tree in the courtyard.

Near midnight, I returned to Club Villa in Bentota, which we renovated seven years ago in 2019, and enjoyed a glass of white wine that had been kept chilled for me. Geoffrey Bawa originally designed Club Villa as a private villa upon request, and it is now used as a hotel, but its villa-like quality, in other words its home-like character, gives it a unique charm not found in Bawa's other works. We renovated it into a delicately detailed space where pleasant breezes flow through, so as not to spoil that home-like gentleness. Thanks to that, I was able to relax as comfortably as if I had returned to my own home.

After falling sound asleep from exhaustion, the next morning I had hoppers freshly made for me as usual, which are pancake-like dishes typical of a Sri Lankan breakfast. However, that was when I heard some sad news. Mr. Karunaratne, who used to make these hoppers and had served as Bawa's personal chef, passed away last year at the age of 86.

He had shared with me many stories about Bawa's tastes in food and drinks. Bawa loved Italian cuisine, and right after hiring Mr. Karunaratne, he told him to go to Italy to study cooking. Mr. Karunaratne traveled there and returned after learning how to make a rich, hearty lasagna.

There is no doubt that Bawa's extraordinary attention to food was deeply connected to the wonderfully warm texture of his architecture. While Mr. Karunaratne's lasagna was rich, the gin and tonic that Bawa loved was refreshing by contrast. In the mountains near Sri Lanka Wakana, in the vast garden of Lunuganga where Bawa himself lived, small calling bells were placed in various spots. Whenever he wanted to drink a gin and tonic in the garden, Bawa would ring one of those bells.

When he passed away, the funeral held at Lunuganga began at six in the evening. Having always finished his work and enjoyed a gin and tonic at that hour, Bawa left instructions in his will to start his funeral at that exact time, in tribute to his evening drink. I found it wonderful and deeply philosophical to connect the feeling of relief at the end of a day's work with the feeling at the end of one's life.

Having been able to touch Bawa's life even in a small way, I renewed my determination to follow in his footsteps: I will care deeply about what I eat and drink, and create architecture that connects closely with human life! Even if it is only for the brief time until my own final gin and tonic.