is eschewed at Downtown for something unashamedly urban in concept and context. "The idea for Downtown (yes, downtown Seminyak)," explains one of the youthful co-owners Guy Neale, "was to move away from the open villa with traditional alang-alang to something more contemporary and comfortable. We felt the time was right to give discerning visitors an alternative style of accommodation with the kind of functionality they expect elsewhere in the world."
Neale clearly had his finger on the tourist pulse, because Downtown proved a hit from the start. Offering nine one-to three-bedroom villas, reservations are more than recommended. They're obligatory.
Boat builder turned designer Fredo Taffin, who had previously designed hip eatery Ku de Ta (also owned by some of Downtown's partners) and a variety of Bali villas, was the architect of choice. His brief was to create "a downtown luxury hideaway with a contemporary feel"—and he obliged by combining a modern international ethos with Bali's rich natural materials. Merbau wood, teak, terrazzo, andesite stone, granite and grey soapstone are all used—but are married with slick finishing rather than traditional carving and fashioning.
All the villas have private kitchens, pools and some outside space, but all are individually designed with sleek, clean-lined furniture from Australian firm Urban Icon. The larger, two-story villas have a private 20-meter (66-foot) lap pool, wooden sun deck with steel mesh loungers, and a contemporary take on the open-sided balé. Open kitchens are kitted out with Italian aluminum fittings, and sanitary ware is of the high-quality, imported variety. Leather and suede sofas, conceptual art pieces by Veronique Aonzo and brash color combos are more metropolitan than insular—yet work well in the Seminyak setting.
In many ways Downtown Villas is representative of a new wave of architectural experimentation that has swept across the island since the millennium. What long-term Bali resident architect Gianni Francione terms a "new tropical internationalism," it is characterized by a marriage of modernist forms, Western technical know-how and the innate adaptability and skills of the Balinese. The romance of the rustic is increasingly being replaced by a challenging cosmopolitanism. Homes and villas, restaurants, hotels and homestays are finding that a rice field view and a dash of island charm are limited commodities nowadays. People are demanding—and getting—more.
According to Neale, Downtown's mission is to give the international traveler an experience that only a modern apartment hotel can offer. There is no hotel restaurant, but a quick phone call will ensure delivery of dishes from the all day dining menu; these are cooked in the hotel kitchens. Alternatively, villa kitchens are stocked with basics, so you can make a cup of tea, coffee or a snack at any time of the day—but if you prefer, staff can man the stove and cook for you. This is ideal if you are in one of the larger villas, and feel like having a group dinner by the pool. You can also order food items from the market or supermarket if you feel like cooking yourself. Flexibility is key.
Even though Downtown is situated in the heart of Seminyak, it is located off a relatively traffic-free, quiet street. Inward looking, architecturally and conceptually, it is sequestered and secluded. In addition, the villas' understated modern design is soothing after the buzz of a club night or a shopping trawl down Jalan Raya Seminyak. Modern holidaymakers find they offer just the right ambience to come home to.
Jalan Lalu Village 9d, Seminyak, Bali 80361, Indonesia.
tel: +62 361 736 464
fax: +62 361 736 424
The Legian Seminyak
Jakarta-based designer Jaya Ibrahim began his career under the tutelage of designer and couturier Anouska Hempel. Today, she is rightly attributed as the creator of the first "designer hotel"—Blakes in London. Applauded for its startling originality at a time when homogeneity in hotel design was the norm, the design ethos at Blakes is flamboyant and sensual. It's interesting, therefore, that Ibrahim's first major project—the interior and furniture design at the Legian in Bali—is just the opposite: restrained, muted, cool, elegant.
While Blakes is dark, dusky and enigmatic, the Legian is open, airy and light. Naturally, this is partly due to site, climate and architecture, but it nonetheless marks a departure for Ibrahim and the development of his own highly individual style. Justly celebrated by the creative cognoscenti, the Legian marks a milestone in resort interiors. Over the ensuing decade, Ibrahim's work went on to make global design waves: Copies of his furniture designs may be seen in hotels as far afield as the US and Europe.
Even though it dates from 1993, the Legian retains a fresh, modern perspective in both public and private spaces. This is partly because of the calm interior design palette, and partly because of its stunning natural location. Fronting the ocean, and built very close (some suggest too close) to the shore, every part of the hotel is focused on the relentless energy coming from the sea.
"I wanted everybody to be drawn by the sea," explains Ibrahim, "that is what the Legian is all about. It isn't about the interior, or the food, or the design; it is about the power of the sea." Certainly when you are within the hotel precincts, it's difficult to take your eyes off the huge expanse of ocean and horizon. Everything faces toward it. Whether you are wallowing in the swimming pool where overflow edge optically meets the waves, sitting on your suite's private balcony, or taking a meal in the restaurant, the sound and sight of surf is ever-present.
The Legian was the first hotel in Bali constructed in a completely contemporary building language. Indonesian architect Dedi Kusnadi made a deliberate break with vernacular architectural style (although there is a central tower in the style of a Balinese drum tower or balé kul-kul) for what was originally an apartment building. Once the decision was made to transform it into an all-suite hotel (all rooms have small pantries as well as bed-, bath-and living-rooms), the hotel retained this slightly urban air. It is built over four stories in a number of linked structures, all interconnected by covered walkways in ivory and biscuit-hued paras and limestone.
On arrival, the lobby sets the tone. An enormous carved screen by Balinese master carver I Made Jojol takes its inspiration from Walter Spies' paintings from the 1930s. Flanking it are two life-sized guardian statues carved from albasia, a balsa wood that is often used for traditional musical instruments. Their fluid shapes and beautiful grain are restful and tactile. Through the perforated screen you can see a carving of waves on the restaurant wall behind. "This prepares you before you are confronted by the real sea," explains Ibrahim.
It's a theme that Ibrahim follows throughout the entire hotel. Within the spacious suites the palette is ocean-inspired: sand-colored terrazzo tiles are the focus in the bathrooms, and fabrics are locally woven in aquamarine tones. Terracotta blocks depicting Balinese life, dancing and music by Teguh Ostenrik are suitably earthy. Each of the 67 suites has a balcony with ocean view; the higher you are, the better. Furniture was designed with the outdoors in mind. "It's a twist on that famous saying about the Chelsea house where the furniture was in the garden and the drawing room was full of flowers," says Ibrahim, slightly tongue in cheek. Elegant and clean-lined, it has more than a touch of deco to it.
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