Situated in the middle of Sri Lanka’s cultural hub, apart from being surrounded by ancient cities, Minneriya has an added attraction – wildlife. This week our journey with the nine talented architects nominated for the prestigious Geoffrey Bawa Trust award takes us to the Minneriya Park Visitor Centre.
Pillars and archways modelled on the architectural style of the ancient cities give the place a rustic and spiritual feel, and outside, the wildlife synonymous with Minneriya puts visitors at ease in their surroundings.

Architect Sunil Gunawardene describes his vision in the design of the visitor centre. “It does not have the utterly practical and functional aspect that some people look for. My focus was to make people sensitive to the surroundings, as well as to tune their senses to the spiritual beauty of the place.”

The visitor centre, sprawling on 7,000 square feet of land, was this architect’s first government project, and had been an achievement, as securing a government project is no easy task. To add to this, Sunil Gunawardene was delighted to hear that his creation was nominated for the Geoffrey Bawa Trust Award for Excellence in Architecture. “It was very encouraging,” he said. “It is also heartening to know that the quality and standards in the field are being improved.”

Having completed his education at Maris Stella College, Negombo, the young Sunil had worked towards securing a place at the Engineering Faculty. However, a mere two marks below the required aggregate saw him beginning his higher education in the field of architecture. “It all made sense because I was good at geometry, and I also loved to paint- something I inherited from my mother,” he recalls. “After starting architecture, I never looked back; everything worked out perfectly from that point on.”

After obtaining his licence, Sunil established his own firm – Sunil Gunawardene Associates. Approximately 20 years of practising architecture, and he has undertaken many different projects, but each project is based on one principle – sensitivity. “It is absolutely vital,” he says. “Every project is unique in its own way; be it a house, hospital, hotel or school, sensitivity is the key. An architect needs to be relaxed and unbiased- always open to new ideas and concepts. In Sri Lanka, we have a strong culture and natural beauty that need to be treasured and preserved, which is why I favour a style which takes us to our roots.”

For Sunil, architecture, apart from being an interesting profession, inspires him by the very fact that it helps shape lives and lifestyles. “It is not an art form which is meant to be appreciated only. Rather, it is an art form which people live in, and it has a tremendous impact on their behaviour and thereby on society as well.”