The Morning of the World. The Last Paradise. The Island of the Gods.
Bali has long been introduced through poetic epithets; each attempting, yet never quite fully capturing the island’s mystique and allure. But beyond these familiar phrases lies a landscape shaped not just by natural beauty, but by centuries of ritual, spatial philosophy, and community-based design that predates its global fame.
Before the arrival of steamships and the dawn of international travel, Bali’s landscapes were inscribed with meaning through a living architecture: temples aligned with cosmological beliefs, family compounds built according to ancestral knowledge, and subak irrigation systems that sustained life across its terraced landscapes. These traditions established a blueprint for how people lived, worshipped, and coexisted with nature—long before “hospitality” became a formal industry.
By the early 20th century, colonial trade routes like the KPM (Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij) connected Bali to key cities across the Dutch East Indies, opening the island to waves of foreign interest. In 1928, the opening of the Bali Hotel in Denpasar heralded the start of a hospitality legacy that would transform Bali into a symbol of escapism, spirituality, and design. The same year saw the creation of Pita Maha—a cross-cultural artistic collective led by then-Ubud ruler Tjokorda Gde Raka Soekowarti alongside artists Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet—that would come to represent the exchange of influences both in artistic and architectural expressions on the island.
“Architecture does not grow and develop in a vacuum. It evolves in tandem with political, social and economic events that influence its form and transformation.” – I Nyoman Gede Maha Putra
This arc is explored in Paras, an online platform that has since evolved into a 336-page book titled ‘Paras: Documenting 100 Years of Hospitality and Hotel Architecture in Bali’. Authored by seasoned hotel consultant and co-founder of Paras, Radit Mahindro, the book offers a chronological exploration of Bali’s architectural evolution—from its colonial-era branding as “The Last Paradise” for European travellers, to the post-independence tourism initiatives of the 1950s and the rise of tropical villas and landmark resorts in the following decades.
The project began informally through conversations between Radit and art director Krisna Sudharma while consulting for Tandjung Sari, one of Bali’s earliest boutique hotels, founded on the Sanur coast in the 1960s. Their curiosity about Tandjung Sari’s history sparked a broader investigation into pioneering hotels that shaped the island’s hospitality landscape, culminating in a ten-part essay series that Radit initially published on Medium.
Encouraged by Krisna to take the research further, Radit expanded the work into a long-form editorial project. “While the digital platform has explored a wide range of stories on tourism and hospitality in Bali, the book focuses specifically on the 100-year evolution of hotel architecture on the island,” Radit explained, drawing from over a decade of industry experience.
The book opens with a critical essay by I Nyoman Gede Maha Putra, award-winning architect and lecturer at Warmadewa University in Denpasar, who frames the discussion with a simple yet grounding premise: “Architecture does not grow and develop in a vacuum. It evolves in tandem with political, social and economic events that influence its form and transformation. The same is true for Bali”. His essay examines how early settlers, environmental conditions, and spiritual belief systems formed the foundations of Balinese spatial design—offering essential context for the architectural developments that follow.
Across eleven chapters, intermezzos, and interviews, Paras constructs a nuanced timeline of Bali’s architectural journey, highlighting key figures, properties, and moments that shaped the built environment. From Wija Waworuntu’s pioneering vision at Tandjung Sari to the tropical modernist sensibilities of renowned architects Peter Muller and Kerry Hill, the understated luxury championed by Aman Resorts’ founder Adrian Zecha, and more recent sustainability-driven projects like Katamama and Desa Potato Head by Andra Matin.
“My hope is that the younger generations—especially within the tourism and hospitality industry—recognise the rich and nuanced history of Balinese hospitality culture.” – Radit Mahindro
Beyond documenting built forms, Paras traces a broader visual and philosophical shift—from the postcard image of Bali as a tropical paradise to spaces grounded in sustainability, site specificity, and cultural sensitivity. These evolving values have not only reshaped the island’s physical landscape, but also reframed the very way its architectural identity is perceived.
Throughout, the book interrogates how the language of tourism in Bali has continually negotiated the tensions between tradition, modernity, and global influence. For author Radit Mahindro, it is also a study of the island’s spirit—prompting a critical reflection on Bali’s tourism-first mindset and advocating for a more intentional, destination-driven approach, which he terms “destinationism.”
“The dramatic physical changes Bali has undergone in the last twenty years are evident. This situation echoes a sentiment expressed by Malaysian architect Cheong Yew Kuan in my book: ‘too many buildings now are divorced from the site and from us… They are abstract manifestations of man’s intellect and ego’,” noted Radit. “While we can’t precisely identify the underlying causes of this issue in Bali, we can collectively observe its symptoms and analyse them individually to potentially uncover the core problem.”
“My hope is that the younger generations—especially within the tourism and hospitality industry—recognise the rich and nuanced history of Balinese hospitality culture. It extends far beyond the traditional image of serving guests in a hotel premise. Indeed, the very existence of hotels is inextricably linked to the destination itself; its vibrant culture, and the people who infuse it with life,” he shared.
“How could the culture evolve if we continue to put it in a box?”
Krisna added, “We are active participants in better articulating our cultural representation, moving beyond the tourist gaze. Periodically, we aim to showcase content that helps others comprehend and brings us together.”
The book also addresses the ongoing tension between ‘old’ and ‘new’ Bali. Rejecting the idea that there is a singular definition to ‘Balinese style’, it proposes a more fluid understanding of Balinese architectural identity. In this context, recent developments such as the zero-waste, off-the-grid, wall-less development Potato Head Tabanan designed by Andra Matin and Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, and self-sustaining cabin, The Tenda by SCDA, with its first prototype already underway, and Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape, with its “no walls, no doors” resort concept, are framed not as ruptures, but as part of an ongoing lineage—each extending and reinterpreting the island’s design legacy in their own unique ways.
“[While it’s important to anchor everything in a deep understanding of the culture], it’s equally important not to cling to nostalgia or to rigid ideas about what ‘Bali should be.’ How could the culture evolve if we continue to put it in a box?” Radit questioned.
Paras, both the book and the online platform, invites us to reconsider Bali not as a static paradise frozen in time, but as an evolving entity—where architecture and culture continually respond to the island’s complex histories and futures. Ultimately, it’s a call to engage with Bali as it is: layered, living, and always in conversation with its past to move forward.
‘Paras: Documenting 100 Years of Hospitality and Hotel Architecture in Bali’ by Radit Mahindro is available for Indonesian shipping via Karat , and for international orders via Atelier International.
Publisher: Atelier International
Category: Architecture & Design
Date of Publication: April 2025
