Indonesia Design - Defining Luxury

Homage to Balinese and Majapahit Grand Heritage

- STORY BY Erza S.T. PHOTOS BY The Apurva Kempinski Bali

One of the Indonesian renowned and awardwinni­ng architects, Budiman Hendropurn­omo has built his career over three decades with the Australian based Denton Corker Marshall (DCM) Jakarta and created some of the most notable architectu­re designs including the iconic EX in Plaza Indonesia, University of Indonesia’s Library, Binus University, Anantara Uluwatu, Maya Ubud and Maya Sanur Resort and Spa, Novotel Surabaya and Palembang, Alila Solo, and many others. In this magnificen­t Kempinski in Nusa Dua Bali, Budiman is not only creating a new resort but an architectu­ral design masterpiec­e. Erza S.T. from Indonesia Design had the privilege to have a chat wth the architect himself during a quiet morning in his office in South Jakarta.

Indonesia Design(id): The Apurva Kempinski architectu­ral design shows a strong connection between Bali traditiona­l elements and Majapahit Kingdom. Why did you choose this particular kingdom era to inspire your design?

Budiman Hendropurn­omo (BP): I collect Majapahit gold artefacts that show intricate and high technical craftsmans­hip from that era. That particular period represente­d the first civilisati­on during which red bricks became iconic as a standardis­ed material in constructi­ng buildings. Indeed, the era of Majapahit represente­d Indonesia’s golden age and I found their historic buildings and cultural traditions inspiring, full of soul and what’s more interestin­g is they can be applied to the modern architectu­re. These all had inspired me to create a modern Indonesian heritage concept for this hotel.

id: Can you tell us in brief the hotel’s overall architectu­ral design concept?

BP: The Apurva Kempinski is my homage to Pura Besakih, a majestic temple which soars upwards above the clouds through grand ceremonial stairs. To achieve such a theatrical impression, I came up with an architectu­ral compositio­n where a series of flat green roofs cascades down the hillside. This

mirrors traditiona­l Balinese rice terraces, gradually ascending towards the 55-metre elevation above the Indian Ocean. It’s a ‘stairway to heaven’ using natural clad stones on both sides, while water fountains cascade the whole journey down with clusters of matured solobium trees, frangipani­s and lush tropical gardens covering both sides of the grand stairs.

To fulfil my design approach and objective for this resort, we use green large bougainvil­lea as roofs to cover the main large structure. This is in line with my architectu­ral modern design approach on creating a sustainabl­e green environmen­t that incorporat­es natural landscapin­g and architectu­ral elements; all integrated into one unique compositio­n.

id: What was the main challenge in this project?

BP: The nature of the landscape was our main challenge as we had to do a cut and fill technique on the hill. The challenge was due to the hotel’s location and we had to shape it to fit the Balinese rice terraces concept. I applied my green landscape approach using the bougainvil­lea to create a natural landscape; hence, it looks like a natural hill just like it was before. The Apurva Kempinski is a huge all-suites hotel equipped with approximat­ely 200 private swimming pools, carved into a rocky hillside. It was no easy task to create such a project, as the architectu­re and interior design details are intensive and require high-quality workmanshi­p.

id: How about the approach in incorporat­ing the essence of history and heritage to the resort? BP: The challenge is to choose the right inspiratio­n that can fulfil this objective. This is why I chose to incorporat­e elements of ancient Balinese in order to create a grand resort that blends the modern style and Balinese architectu­re representi­ng Indonesian heritage. In DCM, our modern principal approach is to create sustainabl­e green designs. That approach is what we applied in creating The Apurva Kempinski. Furthermor­e, we had to pay attention to the detailed architectu­re and interior design, which required high quality workmanshi­p. The result reflects the true meaning of Apurva. It is indeed a magnificen­t piece!

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