Oral Histories: Ismeth Raheem

Ismeth Raheem on the programme. Ismeth studied architecture first at the University in Sri Lanka and subsequently at the Royal Academy of Arts in Copenhagen. He worked at Geoffrey’s firm, Edwards, Reid & Begg between 1968 and 1976, on a number of key projects such as the Connemara Hotel in Madras, the Serendib Hotel in Bentota and the Agrarian Research and Training Institute in Colombo. He also designed furniture and created artwork for the various projects handled by the firm. He spoke of his time studying in Copenhagen and coming back to Sri Lanka, only to be faced with working within the constraints of the closed economy. Ismeth also recalls his favourite time at ER&B, which was when he was living and working in south India, highlighting Geoffrey’s ability to form diversely talented teams and to play to the strengths of his collaborators. 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 [email protected].