Hotels and Resorts

We find out, in most projects in this issue, that placemaking and resort design are still synergistic.

The Alila hotels in Indonesia and China are a display of climate-responsive and passive design, integrated landscapes, as well as local materials and craft.

Craft is on display in Arjuna Hotel Batu and Katamama Hotel, as well as Anaha Spa at Shreyas Retreat. Here, brick is the material du jour that speaks to lower impact and local skills.

In these, Green is inferred. None states categorically what has been the impact of the design approach.

Oasia Hotel Downtown is clad in a striking red mesh, which in time will be overrun by plants that the architects hope will cool the building and neighbourhood, and attract biodiversity. In Oasia, all recreational and commercial areas are packed within the geometry of a singular tower, suggesting new ways to cope in high-density situations.

A commentary on the sustainable kitchen highlights the push for sustainable construction materials and sourcing, alluding to a changing culture of consumption.

The Kamikatz Public House in Japan is a shop and F&B outlet cum microbrewery in Japan. It is a bold experiment in production and process, where the union between goods and services (all sustainably sourced), as well as form and detail (recycled or repurposed materials) is deeply satisfying.

Happy reading.