- Project: Uluwatu
- Architect: SAOTA
- Location: Indonesia, Bali
- Year: 2022
- Area: 2200 m2
- Photography: Adam Letch
Perched atop a limestone cliff on the southwestern tip of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, Uluwatu by SAOTA is a luxury holiday residence that masterfully reinterprets Balinese vernacular architecture through a contemporary, resort-style lens. Surrounded by panoramic ocean views and native flora, this project offers a deeply immersive experience in modern tropical living.
Architecture Inspired by Landscape and Culture
The villa’s name reflects its location: Ulu means “land’s end” and watu means “rock,” capturing the rugged topography and majestic setting above some of the world’s most iconic surf beaches. SAOTA’s design embraces the natural contours of the site, spreading the residence across a large east–west-oriented plot to capture ocean sunrises while shielding against the intense afternoon sun.
Taking inspiration from ruins reclaimed by nature, the fragmented layout is composed of individual pavilions, courtyards, and terraces, woven with landscape elements. This approach creates an architecture that feels rooted and integrated into the land, blurring the boundary between built form and terrain.
“The architecture becomes part of the place—like a ruin reabsorbed by its landscape,” SAOTA explains.
A Resort-Inspired, Adaptive Layout
A dramatic palm-lined entry courtyard welcomes guests with a grand floating staircase and a cascading water feature, establishing a serene resort-like ambiance from the start. The spatial composition centers around a central living zone with a lounge, dining area, and covered terrace, while guest suites and private wings branch off organically.
The plan avoids internal corridors—navigation flows through garden spaces and courtyards, enhancing the experience of moving between structures. This porous quality responds to Bali’s tropical climate, encouraging cross ventilation, light, and a constant awareness of the surrounding environment.
The layout also supports a scalable lifestyle: whether the owner is alone or hosting a group, the home adapts fluidly, maintaining intimacy without sacrificing grandeur.
Materiality Rooted in Place
Throughout the home, local materials and building traditions are reinterpreted in elegant, contemporary forms. The arrival zones are framed by massive walls clad in dark local stone, deeply scored by hand to emphasize scale and texture. The board-formed concrete roof, reminiscent of traditional Balinese timber structures, lends a sculptural presence while optimizing solar orientation and light capture.
In contrast, the main living pavilion features modern glass curtain walls, elevating the traditional timber aesthetic into a transparent, light-filled volume. The roof’s sweeping slope welcomes morning light from the east and shields interiors from the harsher afternoon sun to the west.
Interiors of Calm, Texture, and Luxury
Inside, the material palette combines rough textures and refined finishes—concrete, local stone, unfilled travertine floors, and custom timberwork. Decorative elements such as bronzed aluminum screens and vertical wooden slats add warmth and richness, while European furnishings introduce a subtle mid-century touch.
Whether lounging in the cigar bar, reclining beside the pool terrace, or crossing from suite to suite via a landscaped courtyard, every moment within the home is designed to connect the resident to place, light, and material.
Celebrating the Balinese Spirit of Living
With this project, SAOTA reimagines the traditional Balinese indoor-outdoor lifestyle in a way that feels timeless yet wholly modern. Uluwatu by SAOTA is not just a residence, but an experiential retreat—a place that honors its context while elevating every aspect of luxury coastal living.
