You can now stay in one of Geoffrey Bawa’s most iconic urban designs

Skirting the leafy edges of Colombo 7, a well-to-do area of the Sri Lankan capital, beside an imposing, freshly painted Buddhist temple adorned with matte-gold Dharmachakra and Bodhi-leaf motifs, sits one of Geoffrey Bawa’s most iconic, yet surprisingly little-known, urban designs. Half veiled by a cascade of bright-green vines, the Ratnam Residence has remained a private family home since the late 1970s, when it was built for a member of the Ratna Sivaratnam family. For decades, only friends and those close to the owners ever glimpsed its nature-filled interiors. Until now. Having been secured and beautifully restored by the Sri Lankan family-owned hotel group, Jetwing, in 2024, Ratnam Residence recently opened its doors to paying guests, reimagined as an intimate boutique hotel.

Tour Geoffrey Bawa’s Ratnam Residence

Originally designed by Bawa and built in 1979, the architectural marvel reflects the architect’s signature Tropical Modernist style, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces. Entry from the street, through a discreet door, leads immediately to a wide-open dining and lounge area where carefully positioned windows, vast open ceilings slatted with wood beams, and an abundance of glass allow for a complete immersion in nature. Snaking roots tumble through the open roof of an area that separates the lounge from some of the bedrooms, tree trunks wrapped in oxygen-pumping epiphytes soar out past the wooden beams, and a wall of pinanga coronata (ivory cane palm) disguises the grey outdoor steps leading to an upstairs bedroom.

In central Colombo, where grumbling local buses chug out vast plumes of dense fumes and roads are filled to bursting with thousands of fast-moving tuk-tuks, finding a peaceful sanctuary is not always easy. Yet once you are inside Ratnam’s charming interiors, sun beams dapple the white and taupe built-in cabinets, tree branch shadows rest gently across retro furniture, and the only sound to be heard is the melodic chirruping of joyful Mynah birds, playing somewhere in the near distance.

Jetwing, which already boasts an impressive portfolio of Bawa-designed properties, including a luxury lagoon-front reserve in nearby Negombo, and a post-modern minimalist hotel in Galle, undertook a thoughtful restoration to preserve Ratnam Residence’s legacy. It entrusted renowned architect Vinod Jayasinghe, a protégé of Bawa himself, to infuse the space with renewed vitality, introducing subtle modern touches that elevate the home’s timeless appeal without diminishing Bawa’s essence. Taking the residence from three bedrooms to four double en-suite dwellings, Jayasinghe was able to retain fittings from the original design, only modifying the property slightly to allow for a couple more guests to witness its enchanting allure.

Much of the furniture remains, including white midcentury tulip chairs and circular low concrete-topped coffee tables imprinted with the spines of leaves, as well as a handful of original rugs spread across bedroom floors. And aside from a few new artwork additions, including a detailed line drawing of the fascinating tree vines found across the island, most of the paintings are from the same era as the home.

Closely following the slight renovation of Geoffrey Bawa’s former Colombo home, Number 11, which saw an extra guest suite opened for visitors earlier in 2025, the transformation of Ratnam Residence into a boutique city bolthole is proof that even 12 years after his death, Bawa’s designs are becoming even more popular than ever.

Jetwing Ratnam Residence’s four bedrooms are available to book now, from £49 per night. It is located at Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka.