Modernism and Pleasure: Geoffrey Bawa in Sri Lanka

Kandalama Hotel 1994

A talk by Tony Fretton

Tuesday April 23rd 2024, 1900hrs

At The Gallery, London EC1, and streamed

Geoffrey Bawa was remote from the development of post war modernism in Britain through his location,  culture and financial independence, and he was not counted among the front runners such as the Smithsons. He was however friends with Chamberlain Powell and Bonn, who also were not counted. What set Bawa and CPB apart was their natural inclination to create intelligent progressive architecture that provides pleasure rather than discourse. 

Tony Fretton is a British architect known for his residential and public gallery buildings, as well as other British and international design work. He graduated from the AA and worked for various practices before setting up his own firm, Tony Fretton Architects, in 1982. Tony is a visiting professor at the University of East London, and at ETH Zurich. He is also a trustee of Docomomo UK.