Brief Garden is a landscape garden designed by renowned landscape architect and owner Bevis Bawa.
Bevis Bawa
Bevis Bawa was born on April 26, 1909, in Colombo, the eldest son of Captain Benjamin William Bawa (1865-1923), a wealthy and successful lawyer, of Muslim and European descent, and Bertha Marianne née Schrader (1876-1946), who was of mixed Dutch, Scottish and Sinhalese descent. His 10 years younger brother, Geoffrey Bawa (1919-2003), is considered one of the most important and influential Asian architects of the 20th century. The famous Heritance Ahungalla is a fine example of this. Bevis Bawa was as talented as his brother and transformed this former rubber plantation into a beautiful series of landscaped gardens. Through clever planting and screening, you are led through a series of scenes and views, nooks and arbors. There are statues and works of art everywhere, as well as in the minimalist house.
Bevis Bawa also engaged in art and sculpture. Bawa continued to develop the estate until his death at the age of 83 on September 18, 1992. Because he was gay and had no children, he left the estate to his employees and the house, Brief Garden went to his manager Dooland de Silva, himself a prominent landscape designer in Sri Lanka. Bevis Bawa was openly gay. This is reflected in a good number of homoerotic figures and artwork displayed in the garden and house.
Geoffrey Bawa
Deshamanya Geoffrey Manning Bawa (July 23, 1919 – May 27, 2003) was a Sri Lankan architect. Often referred to as the leader of the Tropical Modernist movement. This made him one of the most influential Asian architects of his generation. Bawa’s work is primarily in Sri Lanka, but works by Geoffrey Bawa are also in India, Indonesia, Mauritius, Fiji and Singapore. His works include houses, hotels, schools, clubs, offices and government buildings, the most famous being is the Sri Lankan Parliament Building.
Brief Garden
The entrance to the garden is through ornate gate posts crowned with male and female figures. Created by Bawa and Donald Friend, an Australian artist, the gate posts represent a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. The path then leads to two additional entrances. The first, a black and white door in a mustard yellow wall, leads up a curved staircase to the house. The second leads down to the garden. A winding path takes you through the beautifully landscaped garden. From the garden you have no view of the house, which you reach through the short garden and several steps.
Brief Garden has been a popular tourist destination since it opened to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in 1969. The entrance fee is $10 or 3000 LKR. Brief Garden is 15 kilometers away from Maggona Boutique Cottages, 30 minutes by tuk tuk.
House Brief Garden
Garden Brief Garden
