Geoffrey Bawa

A Sri Lankan architect who fuses the culture of ancient Ceylon with modern technology, Bawa designs offices, schools, houses and hotels that are in and of the landscape, almost part of nature itself. A postmodernist of sorts, he ransacks various cultures and epochs for ideas. One elegant house transforms the fortress concept used by Portuguese and Dutch invaders. The architect's private garden, nurtured over 30 years, mirrors a 16th century Italian garden. Built on an island, Sri Lanka's Parliament Building complex set amid pavilions and terraces is the quintessence of unimposing serenity. In creating Ruhunu University, which overlooks the sea, Bawa carefully laid out gazebos and verandas to give space for respite and the meeting of minds. Whether because of the disappointing photographs or the elusive quality of his work, this lackluster album does not adequately convey what is distinctive about Bawa's architecture to the Western reader. (September 2)