The Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trusts are non-profit organisations established by the architect during his lifetime. Upon his passing, Geoffrey Bawa entrusted the entirety of his estate to the Trusts, which are responsible for the stewardship of the Geoffrey Bawa Collection and Archives.

While the Trusts maintain distinct mandates, they operate with a shared board and staff, working across both to maintain Bawa’s legacy and contribute to wider discourse on art, architecture, and ecology in Sri Lanka and beyond. The Trusts manage four historic properties and their collections: Number 11, Geoffrey Bawa’s home in Colombo; Lunuganga, his garden estate in Bentota; the Ena de Silva House, relocated from Colombo to Bentota; and the de Saram House in Colombo. 

Established in 1982, the Geoffrey Bawa Trust maintains the architect’s archives, leads conservation of the collection, and delivers year-round public programmes, including exhibitions, lectures, and tours that engage with the natural and built environment. The Lunuganga Trust, established in 1993, preserves and manages the Lunuganga estate as a public garden and museum, supports ecological work, and sustains public engagement through publications, exhibitions, and talks.

The Trusts

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust is a non-profit organization with charitable status in Sri Lanka that was established in 1982 with the objectives of furthering the fields of Architecture, the Fine Arts and Ecological and Environmental Studies. Since the architect’s passing in 2003, the Trust has sustained year-round public programmes comprising lectures, tours, scholarships, residencies and exhibitions which engage broader discourse on the built environment and the arts in both Sri Lanka and overseas. 

The Lunuganga Trust was set up in 1993 by Geoffrey Bawa with the objective of managing and preserving his estate following his passing, through the work of a museum including publications, exhibitions and talks. 

Since their inception, the Trusts have

  • Maintained Geoffrey Bawa’s historic residences at Lunuganga and Number 11, and their collections of fine and decorative arts

  • Made Lunuganga and Number 11 accessible to the public through daily guided tours and other avenues

  • Restored and reconstructed Number 5 at Lunuganga, the house designed by Geoffrey Bawa for Ena de Silva, which involved physically relocating the house from Colombo and reassembling it at its new location

  • Overseen the renovation of the Druvi de Saram house in Colombo 7 and undertaken its management and public programmes

  • Organised the triennial Geoffrey Bawa Awards, now in its 6th cycle, celebrating and fostering excellence in contemporary Sri Lankan Architecture

  • Hosted the Annual Geoffrey Bawa Memorial Lecture, now in its 20th cycle. Past speakers have included Kengo Kuma, Tatiana Bilbao, Sumayya Vally, Marina Tabassum, Cecil Balmond, Bijoy Jain and Abha Lambah

  • Established a sanctuary for the endangered Hog Deer species on Honduwa island, Lunuganga in partnership with the Department of Wildlife Conservation; now to be studied scientifically with the University of Sri Jayawardenapura

  • Curated the Bawa 100 Centenary Programme; a 2-year programme centred on Bawa’s legacy and collections comprising exhibitions, talks and tours