Oral Histories: Philip Fowler
Philip Fowler was one of the four young Indian architects who were hired by Geoffrey Bawa’s practice, Edwards, Reid and Begg in the 1980s to assist on the design of the new Sri Lankan Parliament. Philip ended up staying on for 7 years; working on the Triton Hotel, the Druvi de Saram house and the Horagolla Stables, amongst other projects. He returned to India in 1987 and joined Sankar & Associates. In 2007, Philip, together with his wife Mini, founded the practice Fowler & Fowler. Philip is a keen conservationist and completed the listing of the major heritage buildings of Coimbatore for the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, and was instrumental in saving the (now restored) Victoria Town Hall from destruction. Philip recounts many amusing stories from his time at Edwards, Reid and Begg and speaks about the symbiotic relationship between Geoffrey and his partner at the firm, Dr. Poologasundaram. The Oral Histories Project is an ongoing endeavour that will continue after the centenary year celebrations, and the Trust encourages submissions of potential historians and anecdotes to archives@gbtrust.net.