Titled KITHUL-AMI , this pavilion by Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) was designed to celebrate the birth centenary of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Among the most influential Asian architects of his generation, Bawa was born in 1919. and passed away in 2003.

Using a local vine called kithul , often used in traditional Sri Lankan crafts, Kuma and his team sought to capture the softness of Bawa's architecture while showcasing the country's nature and culture. Located in Bentota, a city on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, the pavilion is a hybrid structure of kithul and steel mesh, a highly durable botanical material. The flexible, fluid loop geometry was designed using physical simulation software and subjected to a reverse engineering process from the unrolled surface. -[newsletter]