Glass and Bamboo Reinterpreted

ABOVE The spacious air-conditioned Tirtha Luhur wedding pavilion allows for seating of up to 100 guests; on the right is the main dining pavilion with spectacular views across the Indian ocean.

RIGHT A general view of Tirtha

Uluwatu at dusk. The unique chapel and wide guest pavilion on the right are surrounded by an expansive reflecting pool.

PREVIOUS PAGE The reception area as seen from within. A roughly-hewn single piece of wood forms a dramatic counter, while the spiralling wood decorative piece accentuates the architect’s use of indigenous materials.

ABOVE An interior perspective of the clay entrance corridor:

The ceiling is glazed with a floating bamboo screen beneath; the bamboo allows light to filter through while simultaneously offering protection and shade from the sun.

RIGHT Built from local clay, this massive volume acts as a dividing element between the restaurant (on left) and the neighbouring villas (on right). Its inspiration comes from an interpretation of the low-tech buildings from the Bali Aga era. As we begin to pay more than lip service to sustainability in daily life, so too do architects and interior designers in their work. Many are beginning to explore avenues that impact less on the environment, use ecologically friendly materials and reflect the bio-diversity of a locale. One interesting example, built in Bali in 2004, is a restaurant adjacent the spa and villa complex of Kayumanis Nusa Dua.

Designed and constructed by Indonesian architect Budi Pradono, the restaurant is based on the idea of a taring or tetaring. This is a Balinese structure that is traditionally built as a temporary ceremonial pavilion. Comprising three parts—two lightweight pavilions in bamboo and glass and one heavyweight structure entirely built from clay—the restaurant draws skillfully on vernacular materials.

The entrance lobby is situated in the solid rammed earth structure. A long, thin, impermeable building, it separates the open-to-the-public restaurant from the privacy of the villa complex. Attached are two semi-transparent pavilions that house the reception, dining and drinking spaces. The bearing structure is in steel clad all in bamboo—as an external skin, as an internal skin for the ceiling, and as a shading device on sliding vertical panels on the sides. The result is a simple but refined building that is at once contemporary and tropical.

“In this project I wanted to bring bamboo into modern architecture by combining it with other elements such as acrylic, polycarbonate, glass and steel,” explains Pradono. “And to make the bamboo look more modern, I used bamboo pins as joints instead of rope.” He goes on to add that bamboo offers an ecologically viable alternative to timber for construction as it is extremely fast growing, and unlike with other trees, bamboo plants are not killed by harvesting thereby avoiding erosion problems. Also, by utilising clay as do some of the Balinese in their homes, Pradono was able to achieve a conceptual whole that juxtaposed light with heavy, fragmented with solid.

“The massive material I selected is clay, while the fragmented one is bamboo,” he explains. The rustic, uneven textures of both are combined with various irregularities in the space planning, so that an architectural rhythm is achieved. In addition, natural light filters through seemingly floating ceilings and walls and breezes are ever-present as the whole complex is built around a reflecting pool.

ABOVE A relaxing corner on the first floor of the two-storey pavilion features glass walls, black marble floors, external screens of bamboo and two modern classic black leather Barcelona Chairs by Mies van der Rohe.

OPPOSITE TOP Dressed in white, this internal view of the restaurant highlights the polished marble floor, glass walls and bamboo features. With interior design by Endramukti Design Associates, the total transparency of the space accentuates the feeling of floating above the surrounding water.

OPPOSITE BOTTOM A detail of the external shadowing bamboo panels of the two-storey lightweight pavilion illustrates the interesting structural concept of the restaurant.