Minnette de Silva Project

Site History and Significance

An Overlooked Modernist Trailblazer

The daughter of prominent women’s rights and pro-independence campaigner, Minnette de Silva (1918-1998) would follow in her mother’s trailblazing footsteps. De Silva became Sri Lanka’s first woman architect and was the first Asian woman admitted to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Her approach rooted the sleek aesthetics of modernism in a distinct sense of place, and she often collaborated with local artisans to incorporate Sri Lankan craft traditions into her innovative designs. De Silva was an early champion of community engagement and participation as an integral part of the design process. Her work was always sensitive to the social, economic, and environmental realities of its surroundings.

Yet while de Silva paved the way for many South Asian architects who came after her, her impact has long gone unacknowledged. Today, only a handful of her buildings survive, and many of those that have been lost and were not properly documented before they were destroyed. A major effort is needed to protect de Silva’s remaining buildings and bring her the recognition she deserves.

Our Involvement

Preserving a Pioneering Architect’s Legacy

Working with the de Silva family, Sri Lanka's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Colombo, and various local and international partners, World Monuments Fund (WMF) will create an open online platform to preserve research and original archival documents related to de Silva’s designs. WMF will also record oral histories with relatives, architects, local authorities, and others in Sri Lanka and abroad. The ultimate aim is to raise awareness about the architectural legacy of Minnette de Silva and the need for its preservation and will contribute to the dissemination of her work more broadly.