Located in the heart of Pontianak, Hotel Pontianak is a hotel that unites all the uniqueness of the city into one, as well as the magnificence of Kalimantan’s culture and nature. The city is very unique as it is located almost precisely under the equator line, it has a distinctive terrain and renowned for its hundreds of years of cultural heritage. Located on the less populous island of Indonesia, Pontianak is surrounded by dense tropical rain forest. It is also crossed by one of the world’s longest river, Kapuas River.
The hotel’s space planning is inspired by the concept of the equator as the middle axis of circular earth’s sphere. The hotel entrance, which is located straight across the intersection of the main road, is also designed in circular form. The placement of the hotel tower is inspired by the shape of Kapuas River course that split into two smaller rivers therefore the layout of the hotel tower is split just like the shape of the river.
The tower mass is vertically separated to impose a floating mass just like how the traditional West Kalimantan house is designed. The facade form is adopted and simplified from Talawang Shield, a traditional carved shield used by native Dayak tribe in the past. The Talawang Shield’s form is simplified into a 3D and 2D pattern. The 3D pattern is combined with Kalimantan Batik and applied to the front facade where people can see it straight from the main road. This is to become the center of attention for the visitors and passersby. The 2D pattern is applied to the rest of the tower facade as the secondary skin to create a uniform and repeated pattern throughout the tower.
Entering inside, the hotel interior brings client further into the cultural experience as they will be pampered by Kalmantan’s wild forest diorama at the center of the lobby. The diorama presents the range of vegetation and exotic animals which showcase the phenomenal magnificence of Kalimantan’s wilderness. The diorama is the focal point as visitors enter the lobby and journey inside the hotel. On top of it, guests will be pampered by the numbers of cultural touches throughout the hotel, such as batik pattern on the floor and columns.
Prevously known as Alam Wawai, Way Tangkit Resort and Spa was built to be a designated spot in Lampung, that is expected to be a high-end luxury destination for local and international tourists. The resort is facilitated with hotels, villas, restaurants, and skyzip theme park. Seated on a 30 hectare land, Way Tangkit Resort & Spa currently takes a total of 152,800 sqm area. The project planning and design combines the advantage of natural resources, contoured site, bay view and its cultural heritage. “Way” means water, and “Tangkit” or Siger means traditional customary crown for Bride that resembles valleys or mountains in Lampung language. These two important elements have been translated into an architectural gesture that reflects the identity of Lampung.
When guests enter the resort, they can enjoy various existing objects from the site that have been conserved and incorporated into the design. At the lobby drop off area, visitors can see the use of a big stone from existing site that is incorporated as a structure to hold the roof of the main lobby. Deeper inside, the shape of public facilities such as main lobby, restaurant, gym and spa, are translated from the shape of siger/crown-shaped/triangle elements that is rotated 90 degrees facing towards the bay. These public facilities are set on a high terrain level, the widest field of vision is offered, presenting a panoramic view of the mountain, bay view, hotel & villas on the level below it.
On the level below, guests can experience the conserved old amphitheatre that is transformed into a new outdoor event space with a ballroom. Alongside the hotel suites, there is a chapel and villas. The extensive use of green roof at the suites and villas blends together with the nature of the site. TWS & Partners intends to amplify the sensation of natural wilderness by creating board walk connecting all various programs in Way Tangkit Resort and Spa. The next design phase will be the development of skyzip theme park, club houses, Way Tangkit Residences, Lamban Suluh (alfreso dining experience), and Way Tangkit the Villas which will also bring significant influences to the site and surrounding areas. This whole package grasps all the uniqueness and creates a fresh and exciting image of Lampung.
Westin Club Ubud is located on a site with extreme contour in Ubud. The level difference from the highest to the lowest point is 20 meters tall. Guests enter the hotel through the highest point of the site. Upon arrival, visitors are indulged by the iconic triangle-shaped lobby that impresses them with a sense of surprise, before they enter deeper into the villas and building below the lobby. The villas are spread around the site in a layered manner. This way each villa guest has a privilege of a vast unobstructed view to the paddy fields across the site. Every villa has its own swimming pool to enhance the resort experience.
TWS & Partners corresponds to the challenge of the extreme contour by positioning the massing of the hotel in curves, following the shape of the contour of the valley where it sits on.
Located in the middle of the hustle & bustle of Bali, Akmani Legian simply stands as an “Iconic Passage” for Kuta, that links Legian Street to Benesari Street that lays perpendicular to the main street. Standing on 3,165 sqm land, Akmani Legian presents a surprise for its guests as it only has small 5-meter openings from both Legian and Benesari Street. But as they enter the building, they are greeted by a spacious interior & exterior courtyard. The facade invites people vigorously to come inside, to enjoy Akmani’s exciting programs as well as letting passersby experience the “Iconic Passage”, which connect the public circulation from main Legian Street to the back, Benesari Street, through the rooftop of the building.
Proposing the idea of “Passage” to client, TWS & Partners created spaces that are light & airy, filled with natural sunlight & fresh air in the limited site area. Wanting to use as much local materials as possible, slabs & walls are exposed, some parts are simply left opened, and some covered by glass windows. To create enclosure at private areas such as bathrooms, greeneries and vertical arrangement of hung bamboos are added. Bamboos are used to mimic traditional Balinese bamboo instrument, Rindik, which creates a nice local atmosphere from its sound. Kerawang bricks are used for a lot of purposes. The original form allows the sunlight and air to flow through. Along the hotel corridor, the use of Kerawang bricks allows natural fresh air to flow in, thus preserving the energy by the use of natural air instead of air conditioner.
The Akmani Hotel is located on Jalan Wahid Hasyim, a busy road in the heart of Jakarta. In an array of coffee shops, city hotels, restaurants and other public amenities, the hotel is situated in a relatively small parcel of land, sandwiched between Spain Embassy and an office building. Entering The Akmani from the busy street, guests are greeted by a pinstriped pattern on the tower facade, which uses three different-colored glass, assembled with curtain wall structural system. When entering the hotel, people are welcomed in the lobby and terrace cafe, which sits three meters above ground to provide unobstructed view to surrounding area.
Built in such commercial area, the client’s aim was to build a self-operated business hotel, with a vision to deliver a unique product to the market. TWS & Partners offered a pinstripe pattern that is used repetitively from the facade to the interior of the hotel, which is inspired by a business suit. The tower building reflects the dynamic yet formal look of business hotel architecture typology by presenting pointed yet slightly angled shapes on the skin. The mass of the building is divided into several floating boxes, which is a strategy to communicate and blend with the surrounding building heights and road with.
Standing on a vast 6,000 sqm land, Ayana Villa has taken up 800 sqm of the total area. Previously known as Ritz-Carlton Bali, Ayana Villa is part of an integrated resort project. In this project, TWS & Partners developed an extension area which comprise of spa, a wedding chapel, and the most expensive and celebrated rental villa within the new complex. When entering the complex, guests are pampered with a modern Balinese Architecture all throughout.
TWS & Partners has redefined modern Balinese architecture through this renovation and extension of the previously existing standard villa. The challenge was to maximise the villa’s premium experience of the Jimbaran Bay’s sunset view, to pamper the guests when they stay in them.
Aloft Bali Sanur is four-star hotel project, covering a total of 110 rooms and supporting facilities such as swimming pool, and health & spa area. Guests are also spoiled started from lobby reception, to coffee shop that serves as public area, and completed by a meeting room to support any gathering and events.
TWS & Partners found a creative solution to overcome the limited width of size of the land, which is to use “ribbon” element that flows, and gives the entrance a statement, while giving direction to the circulation in the public space. All throughout the hotel, there are elements of deconstructed Balinese architectural elements, where they are being composed in a new arrangement and show harmony throughout.
Grand Ozone is a 3.5-star hotel located in Jakarta, with a capacity of 170 rooms. Public area includes a lobby, lounge, reception, business corner, F&B rental space, pool, and coffee shop. On top of these facilities, the hotel also has kitchen area, spa & fitness center, four meeting rooms and multi-function room. Entering the private spaces, it holds 100 rooms of Deluxe type which is accommodated in the new building; while the existing building accommodates 70 Standard rooms.
To overcome the problem of limited space, two floors out of the 12-14 in total, are dedicated as indoor parking area.
The Jaksa Jakarta is a budget hotel located on Jalan Jaksa, right in the heart of Jakarta. This area is renowned for tourists, where they are often seen sightseeing or just simply walking around. Situated right on a tourist spot, The Jaksa aims to introduce Jakarta’s culture and to encourage people to love the culture, and this is to be shown in the architectural aspects. As the cultural icon of Jakarta, Ondel-Ondel (Betawi folk performance that uses large puppets) is chosen to be the inspiration of the design.
Located in the city center which has a very limited space, pedestrians are still pampered with a very spacious walkway area at the hotel front. The hotel mass is elevated, including the Lobby & Entrance Foyer. This allows a better space transition from the pedestrian to the drop-off area at the Lobby. Ground Level presents an art gallery, that serves as a showcase of Indonesian Art & Culture for tourists and visitors who pass Jalan Jaksa.
The building is divided vertically into three parts. First, the head of Ondel-Ondel is represented in the roof crown of the building, which style mimics the bamboo ornament of Ondel-Ondel crown. The body of Ondel-Ondel is represented in the gest room accommodation. The facade is dressed with simple yet innovative optical illusion that represents the traditional printed clothing worn by the giant puppet. As guests enter the entrance, they are greeted at the Lobby Drop Off area that is decorated with bamboo slit drums, known as “Kentongan”. The series of Kentongan is arranged to form a pattern that represents the skirt of Ondel-Ondel, while when they move and bump to each other as the wind blows, they make a beautiful bamboo sound welcoming the visitors at the Lobby.
Located on a cliff facing Bali Ngurah Rai airport and the ocean in a distance, this project is named Jimbaran just to emphasize where it is beautifully located. Entering the complex, guests are received an arrival hall that stands as a simple hollow structure, giving the vast valley view a picture frame. This presents to the guests as a visual experience to the whole site as an orientation point. Public infinity pool ends with a hanging restaurant & bar which has a maximum exposure to the best view on the north east.
TWS & Partners uses a mix of materials to create a composition on the facade of the hotel. The main use of three material scheme, which are local black andesit stone, light-colored wooden rib and green-tinted glass creates an exquisite composition. The main block was composed from “stacking unit”, one above the other in such a way that it maximizes natural daylight to pool side in front of each room.
Located on the Tanjung Benoa bay of Bali, The Nest is offering a concept where leisure does not always begin with luxury, but endurance to breathe with the surrounding. It is built in two blocks of ‘breatheable’ facade – composite rattan, in open pores pattern with a combination of re-used material of rustic wood to implement environmentally friendly construction. The Nest is concepted to be an escape, a sanctuary, a nest to rest, and the building itself to sustain. The facade is an arrangement of composite rattan pattern, which becomes the skin of the balconies of the rooms. The site has narrow perimeter, 26 meters in width and 100 meters in length. Although it is very limited, TWS & Partners cleverly turns the disadvantage to work on something more unique – a round shelter-shaped balcony.
The Nest is home of 117 room keys in total, 108 standard rooms and 9 suite rooms. Each room module is five by six meter, with the six-meter width facing each other to the inner court. The inner court has a view of waterscape, to reflect natural light and keeping the quality of ambiance, lighting and temperature on all floor levels. The balcony all faces to the mangrove forest at the back of the site. The rooftop is home to public functions such as outdoor cafe, lounge, spa & gym, as it has the benefits of a free open space and best view. On top of it, the rooftop also hosts a garden area. This is effectively able to preserve 36.5% sustainability of the land to grow plants, producing oxygen, helps to maintain quality of fresh air and temperature.
The Orbis is a four-star hotel located in Tangerang. The project is an extension of a hotel building complex. TWS & Partners were involved in the health center, a new coffee shop and an extension of 200 rooms with a total of 1,400 sqm area. Additionally, there was also a total of 1,989 sqm of service area at the basement and ground floor as an employee entry point.
Given the challenge of working on an existing building, TWS & Partners works sensitively to integrate and merge with their newly designed extension project. The longitudinal building consists of double-loaded rooms, connecting the main lobby on the front end, all the way to the multi-function room on the other end. The overlapping wave pattern is applied on the longest side to break the monotone.
Seated on a site where it has direct exposure to the sea, Park Royal Langkawi is a complex of retail and hotel resort. The concept is derived from two things. First, Eagle, which is a symbol of Langkawi Island. The dynamic form of an eagle’s wings is taken to be the master plan of the hotel and retail building. The second, as it has a direct exposure to the sea thus sea elements are incorporated into the design. As guests enter the Ground Floor, they are exposed to the public outdoor activities. Greeneries and vegetations become a major element on this level to enhance coziness and comfort. As the surrounding area of the site are used for shopping center, the green area on the ground floor is expected to contribute in bringing greens into the complex. Additionally, there is a vertical garden at the Back Of House area. To enhance the natural elements, TWS & Partners add a lot of water element to cool down the outdoor activities area. This dedicated area is called Central Lagoon. A wide central courtyard is made to enhance natural lighting as much as possible in every part of the building. And the courtyard also functions as a window for hotel central activities. From the main road. visitors can go to the beach along a pedestrian, going through the retail and F&B area.
The materials used are local and reused. The structure uses conventional concrete structure, and The facade uses a lot of wood and stone which is locally available in Langkawi Island and surrounding areas. To maximize the sea view, a lot of glass materials are used in the construction. The design massing concept is arranged by combining different shapes and forms together to create a composition. Third & fourth floors are made as U-shape to maximize the sea view. Fifth to seventh floor are in linear shape. The smooth form of retail area is made according to the impression of a sea-shore line, directing people from main street to the beach area, while the eagle-shaped retails are also aiming to pamper visitors with the breathtaking view of the sea.
