VALENTINE GUNASEKARA THE MAN AND THE METHOD

BY   Archt. Shahdia Jamaldeen

Achitectural historian Vincent Scully believed that architecture served as a vehicle of dialogue between generations of design, transcending time and shaping environments, signifying the subtle and drastic influences that specific eras of architectural movements could have on cultures and communities.

Valentine Gunasekara exemplified the qualities of creating this continuous narrative by placing emphasis on the curated contextualisation of the modernist movement within an otherwise removed tropical postcolonial environment. In essence, his evolving style and works paid homage to a traditionalist and conservative nation while envisioning the innovations that lay in a futuristic approach.

Gunasekara’s visions and designs have had a profound effect on the building scape of Sri Lanka, whether one chooses to acknowledge that or not. It feels improper to label him as a ‘visionary architect’ as the term refers to designs only existing on paper with impractical qualities. For those who were lucky to have worked with and known him, Gunasekara’s design detailing rarely swung towards the impossibly impractical. If anything, they pushed boun­daries of material limitations and labour skill to seek shapes, forms and ephemeral qualities that were unseen and unheard of at a time when contemporary material resources such as glass, metal and concrete were far and few.

Like all new design ideologies that contain alien and foreign aspects, Gunasekara’s were met with almost tangible resistance – condescension at the idea of building with concrete, eliminating and limiting non-functional ornamentation, and seeing beyond conventional form and shape. Even today, Sri Lanka struggles to think beyond conventional lines, and so one can imagine the pushback he faced in presenting influences of liberal West Coast modernism during the 1960s and 1970s.

A man of strong faith and values, the duality of his modernist principles and spiritual convictions was embodied in key architectural endeavours such as the Jesuit Chapel and Tewatte Chapel. As such, this issue seeks to explore the duality of Gunasekara’s architecture – both in the man and in the method he drew on. While it is easy to form an idea of a person through details of their glorified persona, we attempted to form a current perspective of Gunasekara and his work, through his detailing, remaining projects and work process. We also opted to include personal reminiscence of a man who cast aside the oppressive shadows of a collective conservative thought process to do what he could to the best of his abilities – an act which we must see for what it is; brave and unyielding.

As all materials have their limitations in longevity, so does a man constantly faced with professional challenges and underappreciation. It is time we reconnect the interrupted true narrative between generations by bringing key practitioners such as Gunasekara to the forefront, if we are to encourage current and future cohorts to push boundaries and develop radical aspirations. With Gunasekara’s remaining buildings either under threat of destruction or ravaged by neglect, I believe it is our professional responsibility to seek active methods of archive, conservation and tangible appreciation towards a man and method that deeply demonstrated working for a higher purpose. I hope this issue serves as a catalyst for this long overdue endeavour – to celebrate and preserve the legacy of an architect who truly and sincerely tried. God knows we can’t say the same of ourselves.

I extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those who came forward to contribute to this issue, regardless of opposing ideals or perceptions. Your insights and memories have been an incredibly valuable addition to this special edition.

It is only apt to conclude with a quote from another great whose work only gained respect and recognition in the twilight of his life:

I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart. What
would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?

Vincent van Gogh