In our book, holidaying in Sri Lanka must include a visit to Geoffrey Bawa’s Lunuganga Estate in Bentota. Surrounded by natural beauty this magnificent property was the creation of the much celebrated Sri Lankan architect and garden designer.
Lunguganga Estate south of Colombo was the architects private country estate. If you haven’t heard of him before, you will certainly not forget his bold modernist style and wild tropical garden design.
Stylish buildings and pavilions
Dotted with colonial inspired buildings, Lunuganga Estate’s pavilions, courtyards and outdoor rooms were strategically positioned by Geoffrey Bawa to create individual vistas within the greater garden.
Linking of garden spaces
Bawa conceived the garden as a series of spaces to be moved through at leisure; areas in which to stops and enjoy the gardens tranquility. But his design was also quite strategic, they had a purpose, and were designed to be occupied at certain times of the day.
Bells to ring for drinks
Bawa positioned hand bells [a total of 14] around the estate, each with a different sound, so he was able to ring a bell to call for drinks to be served. He and his guests would enjoy a glass of lime juice in the morning, tea in the afternoon, gin & tonics at sunset at setting in the vast garden.
The natural landscape
Originally a rubber plantation, the gardens vegetation looks so natural like it’s always been there. Walking around the grounds, it’s easy to overlook the sheer vision of Bawa to turn the landscape into a thing of beauty.
A civilised wilderness
Far from a contrived garden, the overall feeling of Lunuganga is of lush green foliage. It’s a ‘civilised wildness’ with infinite variety of vegetation’s texture and size, light and shade. Below is the Broad Walk which runs along the base of the garden through the rice paddy and water gardens.
Geoffrey Bawa is one of Asia’s most important and influential architects of the 20th century
An impressive achievement
Lunuganga Estate remained Bawa’s first muse and an experimental laboratory for new ideas. For over fifty years he continued to experiment with it’s spaces and structures throughout his life.
Bawa’s lasting legacy
Left to the Lunuganga Trust on his demise in 2003, the garden is now open to the public and the buildings on the estate are run as a country house hotel.
Visiting Lunuganga Estate
The estate is 60kms from Colombo and 3kms from the resort town of Bentota. The gardens can be visited every day with guided tours at nominated times. Lunch and afternoon tea can be enjoyed in the garden by prior booking. See the website for more details.
Our local tip
A beautiful hotel The Villa Bentota is a great place to stay. The villa was converted into a hotel by Geoffrey Bawa in the 1970’s, and has since been refurbished with a sensitivity to it’s original style.