Concrete was cast against bamboo to create the rugged walls of this boutique hotel in Bali, by Australian architect Nic Brunsdon.
The Tiing is a 14-room resort on the northern coast of Bali, away from the busy tourist spots in the south.
Designed by Perth-based Nic Brunsdon in collaboration with local studio Manguning, the hotel celebrates its location. Rooms are designed as funnels, directing views towards the impressive jungle backdrop in one direction, and the ocean in the other.
Brunsdon opted to keep the material palette simple. Bamboo was used as it is abundant in the region along with concrete, as it is the most common building material on the island.
Both materials are used alone, creating smooth rendered walls and textured wooden screens. But in many places the bamboo has been used as a formwork for cast concrete, giving it a ridged texture that blends with the natural surroundings.
“The materiality of this project aims to work within the local context, construction techniques, resources and climate – a rugged regionalism,” explained Brunsdon.
“In a tropical climate, a clean finish would require much maintenance; here, the material will weather in, enhancing the character of the architecture and place,” he continued.
“Importantly, this also became the finishing. Expressing the texture and form of the bamboo as a negative impression in the patina of the concrete becomes this project’s motif.”
The Tiing consists of seven two-storey blocks, separated by cobbled pathways.
Even more than the rooms, these pathways create tunnel-like views towards the trees, framed by the textured concrete walls.
Each block contains two suites, one on the ground floor and another above. All rooms have their own private bathing pool, with some facing north and others facing south.
A bedroom and living space are located at opposite ends of each, each directed towards a different view, while the shower room is a round space at the centre of the plan.
Skylights bring daylight into these washrooms, even on the ground floor, thanks to a clever stagger in the plans.
“Protected, hidden, and central, this space becomes a welcome surprise, a place of refuge and delight,” said Brunsdon. “This is a place for unwinding reconnecting to the self and to nature.”
The hotel also features a red public bathing pool, designed to offer “an energising arrival moment”.
Bali has seen a big rise in tourism in recent years, with the arrival of several new luxury resorts and attractions.
The OMA-designed Potato Head Studios recently opened, while other new additions include hotel Katamama and the Uluwatu Surf Villas.
Brunsdon hopes The Tiing can offer something in a slightly different spirit, thanks to its more remote location.
“The Tiing has been designed as a reward for the intrepid,” he added. “It is embedded into its local and cultural context.”
Photography is by Ben Hosking.
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