Charlie Hearn of Bali-based Inspiral Architecture & Design Studios reveals his vision for this eco- sensitive five-star resort, which will transform Torok Bay on Lombok’s stunning south coast
When Invest Islands, Lombok’s leading real estate investment company, started planning to develop Gran Meliá Lombok, the new five-star resort on the island’s south coast, it set out to create a resort so extraordinary that it would elevate Lombok’s travel and hospitality industry to new heights.
In pursuit of this goal, the company’s co-founders, Kevin Deisser and Jack Brown, discovered a breath- taking plot of beachfront and hillside land at Torok Bay, a sheltered crescent-shaped stretch of sand overlooking the Indian Ocean and framed by emerald headlands and rippling rice fields. This stunning setting provided a beautiful blank canvas on which to produce an architectural work of art.
For the project’s lead architect, Charlie Hearn, director of Bali-based Inspiral Architecture & Design Studios, the impact of Gran Meliá Lombok’s location was instant. Gazing out across this coastal scene for the first time, he was instantly struck by the area’s blissful serenity and endless vistas.
“The first thing I felt was that it was a “millionaire’s view”’. It was absolutely spectacular with layers of different colors disappearing into the distance. It felt very special,” Hearn revealed.
This exquisite natural scenery provided the inspiration for the design of Gran Meliá Lombok. Hearn and his team at Inspiral felt a responsibility to create a resort that blended seamlessly into the environment. The lines of the landscape are reflected in the flowing form of the villas and resort buildings, which roll and curve with the contours of the hills. Natural materials such as bamboo, reclaimed timber and different types of stone have been embraced throughout, with 75 percent of the building materials sourced from within Lombok and nothing imported from outside Indonesia.
Lombok’s local influences also played an important role in the design ethos. Inspiral strived to deliver a project that looked and felt completely authentic, while also being highly distinctive.
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