Phantom Hands

Repost @archdigestindia . Channa Daswatte (@channadas ), acclaimed architect and Chairperson of the Geoffrey Bawa & Lunuganga Trusts (@geoffreybawatrust ) walks us through the Bawa Pavilion and tells us stories behind each piece; full of histories and anecdotes. In a first-ever collaboration between the Geoffrey Bawa Trust and Bangalore based studio PhantomHands (@phantomhands ), we walk through the late Sri Lankan master, Geoffrey Bawa’s furniture and product designs, set in context of his architecture, all in a temporary installation space at the AD Design Show; the Igloo Tray, the Lunuganga Bench, and the Kandalama Chair among them.

We are looking for a detail-oriented architect or civil engineer to join our team in developing spatial projects through careful technical detailing, fabrication thinking, and construction execution. The role focuses on translating design intent into precise, buildable drawings and supporting their implementation on site. Projects may include building renovations, long-term or pop-up exhibition environments, small architectural experiments, and interior elements such as doors, windows, roof frameworks, fixtures, and custom components. To apply, please share your CV, portfolio and a motivation letter via email to [email protected] with the subject ‘Architect / Design & Execution Coordinator’

Lamps from the Geoffrey Bawa Collection, at the exhibition in Kobe. Image 1 - Unfolding Lamp Image 2 - Lighthouse Lantern Image 3 - Metal & Stone Lamp @gallery_casade @5wari1bu #geoffreybawa #geoffreybawacollection #phantomhands

The Geoffrey Bawa furniture collection, on display at Vague Archives, Kobe, Japan. @geoffreybawatrust @5wari1bu @gallery_casade #phamtomhands #geoffreybawa #geoffreybawacollection #geoffreybawachair

Images from the invite-only opening talk on 1st May for an exhibition of furniture and lighting designed by Geoffrey Bawa’s practice and re-edited by Phantom Hands, at Vague Archives in Kobe, Japan. Architect Channa Daswatte, chairperson of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust, spoke about Bawa’s process of designing furniture—a collaborative, creative exercise that was remarkable for how it navigated the economic and policy constraints in a post-independence Sri Lanka. Aparna Rao, the co-founder of Phantom Hands, shared her experience of re-editing the furniture pieces, guided by Daswatte (who was Bawa’s last associate), and unearthing the intent that threaded through the Sri Lankan master’s designs. The exhibition, organised by our distribution partners in Japan @gallery_casade and @5wari1bu is on until 11th May. @geoffreybawatrust @channadas #geoffreybawa #phantomhands

Our wood finishes are design decisions in their own right, iterated and refined with the same rigour as the form itself.  Developed by our R&D team, these finishes are the result of years of experimentation to find the balance between visual appeal and tactility. Our polishing team creates these finishes almost entirely by hand, moving through progressively finer grades of sandpaper, and building finishes in layers. Moreover, our finishes are all zero or low VOC, which means they are kind to the environment, the polishers who work with them, and the homeowners who use them—without compromising on the protection they give to the underlying wood.  From the deep troughs and crests of the Mocha Driftwood finish to the gentle ripples of the Textured Black—our special finishes, as seen in these images, showcase the quality of attention we bring to all aspects of our design. Image 1 - Mocha Driftwood, seen on the Upholstered Easy Armchair with KeSa Sand fabric Image 2 - Burnt Cobalt Coir, seen on the Upholstered Easy Armchair with KeSa Ink fabric Image 3 - Z7 Charcoal, seen on the Upholstered Easy Armchair with Andaman cotton-linen blended fabric from Zanav Image 4 - Z4 Dark Walnut finish, seen on the Upholstered Armless Chair with Sekhpura raw silk fabric from Zanav Image 5 - Textured Natural Teak, seen on the x+l 01 Coffee Table Image 6 - Textured Black on red oak, seen on the Bentota Lounge Chair #PhantomHands #HandcraftedFurniture #WoodFinishes #CraftedInIndia #SlowMaking

In the late 1950s, Geoffrey Bawa qualified as an architect at the Architectural Association in London and came home to a country in the throes of political and economic upheaval—depleted foreign exchange reserves, tight state budgets, and even tighter import bans. But it was these very constraints that would give birth to a design language uniquely his own.  In the first of three essays commissioned by Phantom Hands, design writer Parni Ray @parniray traces the origins of that language—beginning at the Bentota Beach Hotel, where Bawa orchestrated every detail: furniture, decor, art, and even staff uniforms. It was here that the Bentota Lounge Chair—an inventive reworking of the classic colonial planter’s chair—took shape, as did the Bentota Dining Chair. It was also here that Bawa’s philosophy of ‘Objects that Enhance Architecture’ was born. The three essays together explore the political, personal, and material forces that shaped Bawa’s making, and are part of Phantom Hands’ ongoing enquiry into what drives us to create, the measure of value, and what it means to be custodians of a legacy of making. Read the first essay in the Journal section of our website or access it via the link in bio. @geoffreybawatrust 1. Aerial view of the Bentota Beach Hotel, © Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trusts    2. The Bentota Beach Hotel, © Dr K. Poologasundram, Courtesy of the Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trusts    3.The Bentota Lounge Chairs in the lobby of the Bentota Beach Hotel, © Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trusts    4. Refurbished Bentota Dining Chairs at the bar in the Bentota Beach Hotel, Image credit: Phantom Hands    5. Phantom Hands’ re-editions of the Bentota Lounge Chair, Image credit: Phantom Hands    6. Phantom Hands’ re-edition of the Bentota Dining Chair, Image credit: Phantom Hands #geoffreybawa #geoffreybawacollection #phantomhands #modernism

An ode to the x+l 05 Modular Sofa, with images from the recent Shanghai exhibition hosted by @official101plus of works by @xandlamsterdam . The sofa can be configured in different ways, to form single, double or three seater options with or without side tables. The sofa units are designed to be wide and spacious, with plenty of room for comfortable lounging. Available in the signature cotton linen blended Andaman fabrics or in COM. #phantomhands #phantomhandsfurniture #xandlamsterdam #xandlmodularsofa

The Unfolding Lamp gets its name from its anecdotal origin – an adaptation in metal of a paper lantern Geoffrey Bawa had acquired from the London department store, Harrods. Bawa got the lamp fabricated in metal and placed it in his Colombo home (Image 4) and in his country estate Lunuganga. When we prototyped this lamp, we first made study sketches of the original at No. 11 (Image 5). Subsequently, we made a paper study model (an appropriate homage to its origin) -Image 6- before fabricating it in metal. The intricate shapes on the lamp are laser cut on aluminium sheets and then bent into shape by hand. The various parts of the lamp stay in place with a sliding and locking mechanism that is an integral part of the design. The Unfolding Lamp is available in aluminium in a clear anodised finish or in a special edition wooden version. @geoffreybawatrust #geoffreybawa #unfoldinglamp #bawalamp #phantomhandsfurniture #phantomhands

Post courtesy @thebillboards.co "Reimagining the office space through the lens of Indian Modernism.  Landforms office by Billboards® transcends the routine shaped by material, movement, and the very ritual of work. Conceived as a spatial manifesto for a real estate company, the office integrates workspaces, master planning displays, and model homes into a cohesive architectural narrative." We're thrilled to have our furniture integrated into this reimagining. Seen here are the Nandi Dining Table & Chairs, Nandi Day Bed, x+l 01 Coffee Table, x+l 02 Room Divider, x+l 04 Floor Lamp, x+l 11 Lounge Chairs and Tangāli Modular Chairs.  Location: Bengaluru, India Architects: Billboards® Area: 2500 ft² Year: 2025 📸 @phosartstudio Lead Architects: Arun Prabhu N G, Vincy Victor #officedesign #commercialarchitecture #architecturalmanifesto #phantomhands

The Enchantment of Everyday Objects The Metal & Stone lamp, first seen at Geoffrey Bawa’s home in Colombo, was created by Bawa for a specific purpose – to highlight a gift from a dear friend. The friend in question was the late Minal Modi—a woman of impeccable taste and an unerring eye for beauty. Minal, who started off as one of Bawa’s clients, soon became a close friend. On one of her trips to Sri Lanka to visit him, she carried with her a gift from the Indian mainland—an intricately made Dokra horse. For Bawa, who wanted to honour both the object and what it stood for, it was not enough to simply set it on a table. His innate instinct was to elevate cherished objects and animate spaces with them. With that in mind, Bawa picked up a granite block he found lying around, placed the horse on it, and thought: well, this deserves light. That impulse led to the addition of a base for the rock, a slender rod behind it, and mounted on that rod, a cone that would gently direct the light downwards onto the sculpture. It was object theatre at its enchanting, evocative best. Phantom Hands’ re-edition of this lamp, part of its Geoffrey Bawa Collection, honours the Sri Lankan master’s understanding that the lamp is an open-ended invitation to engage—to place something you love in the spotlight, and in doing so, turn a static object into a personal dialogue. In keeping with contemporary needs, our version of the Metal & Stone Lamp replaces the solid granite with a lightweight composite stone, and the original galvanised iron metal components with machined stainless steel and aluminium, available in a clear finish or in black. Image 1 - The original lamp at No.11, Bawa's Colombo residence Image 2 - The lamp at Kandamala Hotel, where it is still used extensively. Image 3 - Preliminary study sketch of the lamp at No. 11 by Aparna Rao, PH co-founder. Image 4 - Prototype of the lamp at Apartment 8A, Bangalore, shot by @martienmulder Image 5 - From a shoot by @martienmulder Image 6 - From the Bawa pavilion at the AD Design Show 2025 Image 7 - Courtesy our Australian dealer @tigmitrading #geoffreybawa #geoffreybawafurniture #phantomhands #metallamp

The Kandalama Perch Bench from our Geoffrey Bawa collection is both a seat and a sculptural element. Designed originally for the Kandalama Hotel’s expansive verandahs and lobbies, it invites guests to pause and take in the lush surroundings. Its robust timber structure allows for multiple ways of sitting, including perching on the backrest, transforming it into a communal gathering place. Our re-edition is a flat-pack version that refines the original with slight adjustments to enhance comfort and stability, thus making it more accommodating at the bench ends. Available in American red oak or Indian teak, it is ideal for public spaces such as art galleries, building corridors, hotel lobbies or under a porch in a garden.  Image 1 - An original bench, in situ at the Kandalama Hotel in Sri Lanka. Images 2 to 5 - Product images (in red oak) Image 6 - Channa Daswatte @channadas , who designed the bench when he was a part Geoffrey Bawa's practice, perching approvingly on a prototype in the PH workshop. Image 7 - PH team seated on the bench in Milan, during the launch of the Bawa collection Image 8 - At the AD design show in Mumbai, the bench became a resting spot for tired legs.  #geoffreybawa #kandalamahotel #phantomhands #kandalamaperchbench