US architects Aranda\Lasch unveil a museum that blends art with landscape

Bali’s appeal, heritage and natural beauty are no secret – and the new Budidesa Art Park is set to help the Indonesian island make its mark in the global contemporary art world too. The project, created by Aranda\Lasch architects and Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector Budi Tek, will encompass a series of art gardens, exhibition spaces and a residence within the island’s tropical environment just north of its capital of Denpasar.

Tek is a well-known supporter of the arts. Having founded the Yuz Foundation in 2007 to promote art – local and international - the creation of this museum in his home country was the next step for the entrepreneur, who, together with the architects, envisioned this experience as ‘art within nature’.

The mild Balinese climate is perfect for this, so indoor and outdoor exhibition spaces blend into one in this project, seamlessly connecting with their natural context. A series of inhabitable, strikingly cascading roofs give visitors the chance to view the artworks while taking in Bali’s beautiful landscape – at the same time, adding a strong sculptural quality to the building itself. The complex’s residence blends Chinese and Balinese layout typologies, echoing the project’s art collection.

The New York- and Tuscon-based architecture firm presents the scheme’s design in public for the very first time this week, through their participation in the main Chicago Architecture Biennale exhibition, currently showing at the city’s iconic Culture Centre.