OMA’S FIRST HOTEL DESIGN IN BALI THAT PROVIDES TRAVELLER WITH A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF BLENDING THEMSELF INTO THE INDONESIAN ISLAND LOCAL COMMUNITY
TEXT: SUTEE NAKARAKORNKUL
PHOTO: © KEVIN MAK, COURTESY OF OMA
(For Thai, press here)
Having recently opened its door to the public last February, the Potato Head Studios is a 168-room beachfront resort in Seminyak, Bali, that has the Netherlands-based studio OMA responsible for its design. The project is the latest addition to the Desa Potato Head creative village, a mega-project situated in the Balinese beach town of Seminyak, which consists of a beach club and two luxury hotels nearby.
Potato Head Studios was designed to challenge our perception towards its building typology and pose a question for us to ponder whether it is a hotel, a community mall, or a cultural center. “The essence of Bali lies in interaction between different cultures,” said David Gianotten, Managing Partner of OMA and the architect responsible for this project. He further expressed that the idea behind this project was to make it simultaneously function as both a hotel and a community space. “Our design for the Potato Head Studios offers both private guestrooms and facilities, and public spaces to encourage exchange between different kinds of users.” In other words, this hotel may not suit those who seek privacy and who would like to rest and relax quietly, but fits quite well for those who are more extroverted and seeking company.
Alongside an open ground plane equipped to host cultural events which is encompassed by the building’s rooftop, the Potato Head Studios also composes of a variety of amenities including an exhibition space, sunset bar, restaurant, swimming pool, and spa, each of which is separated by its own entrance where the guests can gain access to the facility by using the giant concrete staircases centered in the courtyard.
Another intriguing feature of this project is its collaboration with the team of local craftsmen and architects led by Andra Matin, all of which are responsible for the façade design which drew its inspiration by Tika, a Balinese divination calendar. “We worked with a large number of local people to represent a construction process that respected the Balinese arts and crafts tradition.” Gianotten added that in addition to its idiosyncratic identity, the team also employed locally sourced and recycled materials.
Due to the spread of COVID-19 at the moment which directly affects the hospitality business, it is unfortunately not a good start for the Potato Head Studios as well as for OMA’s first hotel design in Bali. The number of Chinese tourists recorded in Bali during February of this year dropped from 113,745 to 4,820. Plus, in early March there are seven tourists who are currently under observation in regards to their symptoms as well.