Revived Tropical Modernist Masterpieces: A New Dawn for Geoffrey Bawa's Furniture Designs
## Phantom Hands Revives Geoffrey Bawa's Furniture Designs for a Modern Audience
Geoffrey Bawa, the renowned Sri Lankan architect, is best known for his architectural projects that beautifully blended modernist principles with the environmental and cultural context of Sri Lanka. However, his approach to interior design also extended to the creation of bespoke furniture, often collaborating with local craftsmen. In 2025, Phantom Hands, a design studio based in Bangalore, took on the task of reissuing Bawa's furniture designs, making them accessible to contemporary audiences.
Bawa's furniture designs were not mere decorative pieces but integral to the spatial experience, embodying the social, economic, environmental, and cultural realities of mid-to-late 20th-century Sri Lanka. His designs reflected his architectural philosophy: simplicity, harmony with nature, and a deep sensitivity to local materials and climate.
The reissued collection by Phantom Hands includes 20 key pieces from Bawa's career, 17 of which debuted at Milan Design Week 2025. One standout piece is the Kandalama Café Chair, originally created by Bawa in 1994 for the Kandalama Hotel, one of his most celebrated architectural projects.
Phantom Hands' Bangalore workshops house over 100 artisans, local craftspeople who are bringing modernist designs back to production reality while catering to modern market demands. This re-edition project is part of a broader trend in the design world, where iconic pieces from the 20th century are being reintroduced to meet renewed interest in modernist and tropical aesthetics.
The collaboration between Phantom Hands and the Geoffrey Bawa Trust is significant for several reasons. It helps preserve an important aspect of Sri Lankan design heritage, ensuring that Bawa's legacy endures beyond architecture. The re-editions also maintain Bawa’s original approach by working with local craftsmen, thus supporting traditional skills and sustainable production methods.
Moreover, the reissued designs are gaining international attention, reflecting both the timelessness of Bawa's aesthetic and the growing global interest in tropical modernism. By reproducing these pieces, Phantom Hands honours Bawa’s legacy and makes his design ethos accessible to a new generation of design enthusiasts.
In essence, the re-editions by Phantom Hands not only celebrate Bawa’s legacy but also make his work relevant to contemporary design culture, bridging past and present through thoughtful reproduction and collaboration with local artisans.
The reissued furniture designs by Phantom Hands, a blend of Bawa's original aesthetic and modern craftsmanship, transcend the realm of mere decoration, transforming living spaces to provide an authentic taste of Sri Lanka's mid-to-late 20th-century lifestyle within contemporary homes-and-gardens. The collaboration between Phantom Hands and the Geoffrey Bawa Trust has elevated Bawa's designs to a global platform, appealing to the increasing interest in tropical modernism and offering homeowners a unique opportunity to incorporate a slice of Sri Lankan heritage into their home-and-garden lifestyle.
