Indian furniture brand Phantom Hands has launched a collection of furniture designed by the late Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, including a sofa created for his former home.
Most of the pieces reproduced by Phantom Hands in collaboration with the Geoffrey Bawa Trust were developed by the architect’s practice for buildings designed between the mid 1960s and mid 1990s.
Bawa, who died in 2003 aged 83, was known for his contextual approach to architecture, which blended inspiration from the past with modernity while responding to Sri Lanka’s lush tropical climate.
The architect, who is often referred to as the leader of the tropical modernist movement, used local materials to craft inventive reinterpretations of familiar furniture for projects including the Kandalama Hotel and Bentota Beach Hotel.
Bawa and his colleagues used artisanal methods as well as industrial processes to manufacture the chairs, tables, stools, benches and lamps, which were often constrained by limited budgets and tight timelines.
Other challenges the practice faced at the time included trade restrictions and import embargoes enforced during a period of political unrest in Sri Lanka.
Despite these obstacles, the objects embody the prolific practice’s dynamism and creative philosophy, demonstrating what Phantom Hands described as “a distinctly Sri Lankan cultural eclecticism combined with classic modern simplicity”.
“At the centre of each piece is always a highly subjective, often moving idea that seems to gestate into the material world, with a high level of logic and flair,” the brand said.
“Distilled from Bawa’s oeuvre, the pieces in the collection capture the pluralism of his practice,” the firm added, “yet reveal a complex symphony of repeating forms and motifs – leaving a sense of empathy, awe and wry humour.”
The collection includes a sofa designed for Bawa’s Colombo residence, which comprises a simple wooden frame supporting cushions upholstered in a checked fabric from Barefoot – a handloom textile brand founded by Bawa’s friend, Barbara Sansoni.
A lounge chair designed for the Bentota Beach Hotel was based on colonial verandah armchairs but with the arms removed. The relaunched versions feature seats in woven cane or cotton upholstery, with different styles of turned braces between the legs.
Bawa created a dining chair for the same hotel featuring a wooden frame and armrests, which has been recreated with a cushion upholstered in Barefoot’s signature Jack & Ebony fabric.
The Kandalama cafe and lounges chairs, with their expressive rolled backrests, featured in another of the studio’s famous hotel projects and were inspired by a chair created by Australian architect Russell Hall.
The re-editions are adapted to make them more durable, lightweight and easier to ship. The original wrought-iron frames are replaced with stainless steel and teak wood for the cafe chair, and aluminium for the lounge chair.
Some of the rereleased items were designed by Bawa’s associates, including a bench created by Channa Daswatte for the Kandalama Hotel. The robust and versatile design is now produced as a flat pack to make it easier to ship.
Various chairs designed by Bawa with wooden frames and leather seats have been updated with more durable American red oak and Indian buffalo leather from Delhi-based furniture maker J & R Guram.
Tables featuring simple metal bases and tops made from marble tiles have been updated with surfaces compiled using offcuts from TAB India, a natural stone processing firm near Bangalore.
One of the collection’s most whimsical and personal pieces is a version of a concrete seat designed by Bawa for his dogs that is reproduced using a lightweight stone aggregate and an upholstered cushion.
Phantom Hands is also reissuing several of the studio’s lighting designs, including a pair of table lamps with intricate shapes that have been recreated using laser-cut and folded aluminium sheets.
Deepak Srinath and Aparna Rao founded Phantom Hands in 2014 as a monthly catalogue of curated vintage objects. The name is an homage to the legacy of past artisans whose work informs the company’s current output.
In its Bangalor workshop, Phantom Hands produces modernist furniture including pieces designed user the guidance of Le Corbusier for the city of Chandigarh. It also works with contemporary designers to develop original products inspired by Indian modernism.
The Geoffrey Bawa Collection will be exhibited at the Inoda + Sveje Gallery during Fuorisalone Milan 2025, which runs from 7-13 April.
The photography is by Martien Mulder.
See our Milan design week 2025 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.
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