“The ultimate lover” : this is how hotelier Adrian Zecha once described the Lunuganga garden, during a one-on-one breakfast with Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa on the venue's south terrace. Perhaps he was referring to his famous hotel chain, Aman Resorts, or perhaps he was talking about the meaning of the term in Sanskrit, which translates to “peace”. Because it is a deep feeling of peace that one feels in this garden, which today celebrates its 75th anniversary, that Lunuganga, this tropical Eden designed by the visionary Geoffrey Bawa, celebrates its 75th anniversary. The opportunity for architect Channa Daswatte to pay tribute to him.
Song of India and money plants frame and cover the roof of the Roman pavilion, built from columns from the colonial period. Inside, a bronze bust of architect Geoffrey Bawa, made by sculptor Sarath Chandrajeewa.
The frangipani trees on the north terrace overlook Lake Dedduwa, which surrounds the peninsula garden.
Geoffrey Bawa imagined it as a bucolic retreat for himself and those who had the privilege of sharing it with him. Starting by developing the space occupied by young rubber and cinnamon plantations, the architect transformed a colonial landscape of agrarian industry into a personal vision of peace and paradise. During the first decade much of the garden took shape, with its long vistas, pavilions and tree-lined paths, all fashioned from earth and foliage. The following forty years were marked by continuous development. During this period, the man evolved along with his garden, becoming one of the most influential architects of his generation. Despite his prestige and influence, he retired to Lunuganga every weekend to devote himself to the lifestyle he had decided to pursue: that of a gardener.
The roots of a dawata, a species of mangrove, form a natural carpet outside the porte cochère, topped by a sloping roof and adorned with a glass screen made from the frames of an old facade store from the colonial era.
The staircase of the caretaker's lodge is decorated with a magnificent 18th century wrought iron transom, salvaged from a demolished house in the north of the island. In front, a dragon tree from Madagascar.
Gardens don’t take shape overnight; they are, in many ways, an act of ultimate kindness, as the creator will often never see the final product. Today, twenty years after his death, this peaceful place continues to enchant the many visitors who pass through it, as the architect had hoped. Creating a garden is much more than an act, it is a deep desire to transform a given environment into an ideal world where harmony reigns. A slow process, from which the creator derives immense pleasure and unparalleled satisfaction, both from the sight of a flowerpot on an urban balcony or from a vast expanse like Lunuganga. This quest for peace, contentment and space for reflection were undoubtedly what the architect was looking for when he designed this treasure garden.
The entrance pavilion, located at the foot of Cinnamon Hill and built in the 1970s, was intended to welcome visiting colleagues of the architect. In front, rubber trees from the original plantation are still full of life.
Banuka Vithanage
Adaptation Sandra Proutry-Skrzypek.
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