Architecture Prize

Mar 07, 2008 (LBO) – A bus terminus in rural Sri Lanka, a car showroom in the capital Colombo and a lowland forest visitor centre are vying for a million rupee award given in the name of Sri Lanka's famed architect Geoffrey Bawa, officials said. The winner will be chosen after an on site technical review and a final assessment by a group judges, the Geoffrey Bawa Trust, which is running the award program said.

In the panel are architects, David Robson, Ashly de Vos, Channa Daswatta and the trustee of the Geoffrey Bawa trust, Sunethra Bandaranaike and archeologist, Senaka Bandaranayaka.

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust was set up to promote advancement in education and knowledge in architecture, environmental science and fine arts.

The trust says that the Geoffrey Bawa award is aimed at recognizing outstanding examples of contemporary Sri Lankan architecture and not at imitating the work of Bawa.

Among the nine short listed buildings are four houses, two hotels, two public buildings and a motor car showroom in Colombo.

The bus terminus in Dambulla in central Sri Lanka, a visitor centre in a protected lowland forest surrounding the Minneriya irrigation tank, the Suzuki Maruti car showroom in Colombo and six houses are among th