As I was scrolling through Instagram, I came across some images of Kahn’s Exeter library and I (thankfully) asked myself why I was drawn to it. It got me thinking – What do we appreciate in an architect’s work ? One like Kahn or Corbusier – why are we drawn to it ? The one thing that struck me was that these buildings went beyond being livable. A space being livable is the bare minimum one can ask of it. It’s not just about the program. Program is something that can be achiev

The built has an innately dominant physical presence. How does one balance this against the context of nature ? Geoffrey Bawa, known to articulate the landscape, does so beautifully in the case of Kandalama. The hotel in Central Sri Lanka, is set on a site that is amidst the forest along the Kandalama reservoir. The site originally proposed near the Sigiriya Rock lacked a sense of drama. Bawa instead proposed the site to be closer to the water, accessible only through a trail

I know its been a long break, but I’m back with a new series. This time, Sri Lanka ! I recently had the chance to visit the country and some of its beautiful places – including lots and lots of Geoffrey Bawa.. So this series is dedicated to my experience there. To start off, lets begin with the temple in Kandy. I’ve had the good fortune to visit the temple of the Tooth relic twice. One doesn’t expect much of a temple. You go in barefoot, pray, take a round on the circumambula