Geoffrey Bawa Trust hosts range of events to mark festive season

Sri Lanka College of Technology - Colombo 10

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust has announced a range of events in the coming weeks, from the latest in its ‘Thai Architects Program’ to the much-anticipated ‘Open House Colombo’ weekend, as well as the annual Design Market and the monthly ‘Ways of Knowing’ curatorial exhibition tour, to mark the festive season. 

The second lecture in the ‘Thai Architects Program,’ a three-part initiative by the Royal Thai Embassy and Geoffrey Bawa Trust to promote architectural awareness and knowledge sharing, will be held on 27 November at 6:30 p.m. at Siam Nivasa. 

It will feature renowned LA-based architect Kulapat Yantrasast, who will discuss the role of architecture and museum design in cultural placemaking in the 21st century. Museums are critical public spaces for community building and social engagement, and Yantrasast has acquired a reputation as one of the art world’s preeminent architects, designing genre-defying spaces with a focus on the human impact of the arts. This event is a unique opportunity to hear from a global leader in contemporary architecture practice and museum design.

The public also has the opportunity to engage with Yantrasast on 28 November at 4 p.m. for a workshop on the role and place of contemporary architecture in museum design. Yantrasast will guide participants through a holistic design approach to working with these important cultural centres, creating places that balance institutional histories with their future potential, and consider the surrounding environment and diverse audiences.

The ‘Open House Colombo,’ held from 5-7 December under the theme ‘Makers’ Spaces and Other Places,’ invites visitors to step into a range of architectural firms, artists’ studios, and home-based practices rarely open to the public. Hosted by the Trust, the festival offers two exciting days of behind-the-scenes tours and special activities. Participants will gain insight into artistic and design processes, from archival practices to contemporary architecture and local craftsmanship. 

Kulapat Yantrasast

The Trust’s annual December Design Market will be held on 7 December, where participants can kick off the festive season at the De Saram House by exploring a curated mix of local brands that support Sri Lankan artisans and their communities. 

On 11 December at 6:30 p.m., a lecture by architectural and urban historian Pamudu Tennakoon will explain the histories of some of Colombo’s colonial fragments. In this lecture, Tennakoon will explore the De Soysa building, a recently demolished shophouse complex in the neighbourhood of Kompagngna Veediya. By examining the multiple historical narratives of this building (which now exists as rubble), this talk questions how people continue to occupy and relate to the material remnants of their colonial pasts.

Finally, the Trust is now hosting Sunday morning curatorial tours of the ‘Ways of Knowing’ exhibition at the Bawa Space. The next tour will be held on 14 December at 11 a.m. On view through February 2026, ‘Ways of Knowing’ uses different sensory experiences and mediums, including virtual reality, film, textiles, oral traditions, maps, seeds, and our own bodies, to examine the different forms knowledge can take. 

‘Ways of Knowing’ is supported by a generous grant from the British Council as well as Kohler India, Initiating Partner for the Geoffrey Bawa Trust’s Exhibition Program.