Construction is underway on the first 22 units sold at The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Bali, a remarkable real estate offering taking shape on a naturally accommodating clifftop where the group?s inaugural hotel in Bali is also in development.
Set within the confines of budding Bukit Pandawa Resort & Golf on Bali?s southernmost tip, The Residences will eventually comprise 91 standalone villas conceptualized by acclaimed international architect Jean-Michel Gathy, who took inspiration from a traditional Balinese farming technique in imagining the layout.
?The topography lends itself beautifully to a series of tiers that is really reminiscent of the terraced rice paddies you see all around Bali,? said the lead designer at Kuala Lumpur-based Denniston Architects, which has conceived many of the world?s most exclusive resorts built in the past 25 years. ?So even from the villas at the very back of the complex, you have these unobstructed, 180-degree views of the ocean.? To enhance the views for all residents and their guests, each villa will possess a flat roof dressed with an array of exotic grasses, shrubs and palm trees, a design flourish that also serves to create a seamless connection with the surrounding environment. Homage has been paid as well to the spirit of Balinese architecture, in that no villa will exceed the height of a typical coconut tree, no matter how many rooms it has.
?This is not London or Singapore or anywhere else,? said Gathy, a Belgian who has...