Not quite Wright in Ubud: The Chedi Ubud hotel<\/p>\n
UBUD, Bali (JP): The design of the Chedi Ubud, the latest
\nboutique hotel in Payangan, northwest of Ubud, Bali, shows
\nevidence of the influence of the renowned American architect,
\nFrank Lloyd Wright, in some of its architectural and interior
\ndesign elements.<\/p>\n
The overall design is an elegant architectural statement
\ninspired by many other designs. It is indeed true that \"nothing
\nis new under the sun\".<\/p>\n
For the most part, the architecture of the Chedi seems to work
\nfine. However, any design can always be improved, and the Chedi
\nis no exception. The design challenges of some parts of the
\nresort might have actually benefited from a more careful and
\nthorough study of Wright's designs.<\/p>\n
Walking into the lobby of the Chedi Ubud, visitors are
\nimmediately greeted with the monumental reception desk. Behind
\nthis desk is an equally monumental backdrop composed of
\ndecorative concrete blocks, flanked by a pair of columns with a
\nrustic texture. The composition inevitably reminds one of Wright.
\nHowever, at the Chedi the concrete blocks are far simpler than
\nWright's elegantly ornamented and carefully crafted designs.<\/p>\n
The use of decorative concrete blocks was first used in
\nWright's design of a hotel as well. He first used a similar
\nsuperimposition of textures at the Hotel Imperial (1915-22,
\ndemolished in 1968) in Tokyo. However, the modest materials were
\nused most effectively and esthetically in the designs of houses
\naround Los Angeles, California, around the 1920s.<\/p>\n
In the designs of the residences of Millard (1922), Freeman
\n(1923), Storrer (1923), Ennis (1924), and Jones (1929), Wright
\nused decorative concrete blocks each with its own decorative
\npattern, so that each house has a strong identity.<\/p>\n
In contrast to the rather cold reception area dominated by the
\nrustically concrete backdrop is the small and quiet library
\nbehind it. The use of teak to encase this space creates a warmth
\nthat enhances the atmosphere of this library.<\/p>\n
The furniture here also seems to have been inspired by
\nWright's designs of the 1940s, the simplicity of the construction
\nof the furniture of the Auldbrass Plantation in Yemasee, South
\nCarolina, and the functional proportions of the chair for the
\nSondern House in Kansas City, Missouri. At the Chedi, the
\nfurniture has been modified and simplified to suit the needs of
\nthe project, and no longer resembles any of Wright's designs too
\nclosely.<\/p>\n
The restaurant is not far from the lobby. Towering columns of
\ncoconut wood structurally support the thatch roof of the
\npavilion, while visually they recreate an atmosphere of a coconut
\ngrove. Perhaps the interior design of the restaurant was intended
\nto preserve the atmosphere of the coconut grove which once
\nexisted on the site. The finish was also left a little rough to
\ngive it a rustic character.<\/p>\n
From this restaurant, the view of the vast Ayung valley is
\nspectacular. The Chedi Ubud is located in Payangan, far north of
\nthe villages Sayan and Kedewatan which are now chocker with
\nhotels, the Amandari, the Kupu-kupu Barong and the Cahaya Dewata.<\/p>\n
Below the restaurant lies a lounge not far from the swimming
\npool. The difference in height between the restaurant and the
\nlounge is so great that it needs tall supporting columns. To
\nreduce the awkward visual appearance of the tall and slender
\ncolumns, they have been thickened with stones from the river. The
\nend result are monumental columns that stand tall and strong.<\/p>\n
These columns show that Dutch architect Henri Maclaine-Pont's
\ndesign of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) was probably
\nalso a source of inspiration for the Chedi Ubud. The columns
\nencircling the corridors of ITB's main halls are also encased in
\nstone to provide an elegant and monumental appearance.<\/p>\n
By contrast, the swimming pool protrudes from the hotel's
\nspatial composition in a cumbersome manner. In a single
\ncomposition of dark turquoise tiles, the pool is a monolith which
\nseems in stark contrast to the organic site of the Ayung valley
\nand its natural surroundings.<\/p>\n
A view from the opposite side of the river, as appears in the
\nChedi Ubud's brochure, gives a feeling that the resort is yet
\nanother massive monolith, not very different from the feeling
\noffered by the \"Big House\", the Chedi Bandung. Although the hotel
\nis actually composed of many different sections, the planning of
\nthe site fails to convey the organic design that was intended.<\/p>\n
Therefore, it might have been better for the designers to have
\nconcentrated on Wright's concept of \"organic design\", and not
\njust to have sourced inspiration from the visual appearances of
\nhis designs. We should always remember that the design process is
\nas important as its product.<\/p>\n
I have to say that the hotel is not quite \"Wright\": not quite
\nright by Frank Lloyd Wright's standards. Some parts are not quite
\nright by any established designer's standards.<\/p>\n
Be that as it may, the Chedi Ubud is still a strong
\narchitectural statement, offering an elegant hotel environment
\nand amazing comfort crafted from simple and cheap materials. But
\nI suppose that whether the hotel is \"Wright\" is of minor concern.
\nModerately priced, the Chedi Ubud is the right hotel in Bali for
\nyoung travelers.(Amir Sidharta)<\/p>",
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