cultural

The site is roughly 15 minutes away from Ngurah Rai International Airport in Kuta, Bali – an iconic place to visit for local people and tourists. Within the vast land area of approximately 9455 m2, this water base restaurant is diving into its core element of Talaga, creating a design that conveys the story of rural Indonesian villagers into architecture.

The story starts from a river stream that flows down to the lake, giving possibility of life in the early days. Along the riverside, these villagers built settlements and eventually, a community. This phenomenon is further reinterpreted as the main body spine, which makes the architecture becomes a part of the natural event. With no exterior or internal walls, the vision aims to make visitors feel like they are not inhabiting a building in its traditional sense. The giant roof follows the main spine, acting both as a shelter and giving extra protection for the small pavilions below. The huts (Saung) sits along the spine, as they become a datum for programmatic nodes (which consists of lobby, service, restaurants). Each of the huts’ roof mimics natural leaves, parametrically studied into many geometrical forms.

The main zone consists of parking area, service, and restaurant. As we enter the restaurant area, the visitors are welcomed by a giant rabbit-hole gate, which is formed by bamboo panels. The front gate aims to give a transitional experience and teases a glimpse of the space upon entering, arriving at the reception area. The restaurant consists of 17 Saung, kids’ playground and public toilets. The cavity bay is dedicated for VIP area and open-plan dining spaces while also maximizing the seating capacity of the restaurant. The skylight penetrates the main roof to add dramatic light to add intimacy to the space.