Sculptural spiral house The Loop redefines living in Bali’s jungle

Inside The Loop at Alexis Dornier’s newest house in Bali, blending nature sculptural design

Exterior of The Loop in Bali
(Image credit: KIE)
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The Loop, an expansive private home nestled within the leafy nature of Bali in Pajangan, is the latest residential completion of designer Alexis Dornier – a German-born creative who has lived on the island since 2013. The home, while sculptural, dramatic and thoroughly contemporary, feels in tune with its context, through its architects' careful selection of materials and low, broken-down volumes. 

The kitchen in The Loop

(Image credit: KIE)

The Loop: a home that inspires and serves

The project's brief was 'simple yet profound', Dornier recalls. The clients explained how they had 'lived in boxes' their entire life and were now seeking the opposite. 'I set out to craft an architectural masterpiece that defies gravity and captivates the human spirit,' he adds. 

Sun loungers looking out across the pool in The Loop

(Image credit: KIE)

In meeting the brief's requirements, the team was also adamant that they ensure the site's lush surroundings were preserved as much as possible. As a result, the home is engulfed in greenery, wrapped in the existing Balinese jungle foliage found on the plot. Adhiputra Landscape helped create the setting, supported by environmental engineering consultancy Eco Mantra. 

Curved kitchen fitted in The Loop

(Image credit: KIE)

At the same time, a floorplan forming an elegant figure '8' was chosen as optimal to allow for the best lighting inside the home and views out from different parts of the house. As the structure sits on a slope, it was designed to seemingly float above the ground and greenery. 

Simplistic bedroom in The Loop

(Image credit: KIE)

The process was not without challenges. Dornier says: 'The project posed unique challenges that demanded innovative solutions. Bending materials in two dimensions and resolving complex geometrical situations required meticulous planning and collaboration with skilled artisans. It was a journey into uncharted territory, pushing the boundaries of architectural possibilities.' 

Foyer providing open space in The Loop

(Image credit: KIE)

The end product is engaging and finely crafted, using the skills of local craftspeople, while adding drama to the everyday for its users - created in coordination with interior designer Silvia Fairman. 'It stands as a testament to our commitment as architects to challenge the ordinary and create spaces that inspire and captivate all who encounter them,' Dornier writes.

Exterior of The Loop

(Image credit: KIE)

Curved walls and pillars are the foundations of The Loop

(Image credit: KIE)

Spiral staircase is the central point in The Loop

(Image credit: KIE)

The Loop situated in the fields in Bali

(Image credit: KIE)

Exterior garden area of The Loop

(Image credit: KIE)

alexisdornier.com 

Ellie Stathaki

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).

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