Swing at Meric Restaurant at Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap, Cambodia (page 218). On the front entrance door of the Bensley Residence (page 144), the gecko is simply painted in cement and stained saffron.
INTRODUCING PARADISE
Designers organize their workspaces in the studio however they like, they sit with anyone. Over the years we have designed hundreds and hundreds of stone sculptures which are now in the form of carefully cataloged drawings.
PARADISO
LORD LOVE A DUCK
Farming is the backbone of the Chinese economy, with rice the staple crop in the south. On the other side of the children's pool, bronze turtles carrying ducks on their backs form handrails for the stairs leading to the pool.
CASA CALIFORNIA
SPAIN MEETS GUANGZHOU
The segmented stone of the lower level of this fountain adds a particularly elegant touch. In the garden lobby of the main pool, we placed this fountain, traditional at first glance, but composed of 18 full segments of solid granite, like pieces of an orange.
SHERATON SANYA RESORT THE NEW WAIKIKI
The biggest challenge for our design was the existence of the sand dune on the beach. Local artisans on Hainan Island were commissioned to carve the huge sandstone sculptures that are a stunning feature of the resort.
MARRIOTT MUMBAI
ON BOLLYWOOD’S BEACH
The inward-facing end of the main circular pool overlooks a bold, semi-circular spa pool seemingly submerged in a lotus pond (page 46). A doorman stands sportily under one of the fountains at the hotel's main entrance, raising his hands in a traditional Indian salute. The straight lines of the main pool with intersecting lap pools are softened by groups of poolside furniture, stone sculptures and pockets of plants.
Instead of the usual small stones, smooth stones the size of an ostrich egg in the gutter frame the rim of the arched saltwater pool. Our drawing for the mustachioed Indian cat rat, pictured at the edge of the saltwater pool in the photo above. The semicircular curve of the spa pool is repeated in the waterfall edge of the lily pond.
UDAIVILAS
SETTING NEW STANDARDS
Elephants, camels, kings, processions, warriors and other aspects of the lives of Udaipur's maharajas are all on display. This beautiful marble panel was obtained from one of the ancient "farms" on the outskirts of Delhi. The hotel's domes are reflected in a swimming pool in the northernmost garden of the hotel.
This old neem tree (Azadirachta indica) in the entrance courtyard was one of the few trees originally on the site. Our drawing of one of the water features that was built on the retaining wall facing the lower levels of the spa. Reflections in a still body of water of the streetside arcade and the bulbous dome behind add an element of romance to the hotel at night.
AMARVILAS
AT THE FOOT OF THE TAJ MAHAL
This garden, south of the pool, is at first glance a mirror image of the garden that rises on the north side. We dropped the swimming pool approximately 8 meters into the ground so that guests from the lobby could enjoy an unobstructed view of the Taj. Normally, bellboys do not get water from the fountains set into the walls of the terraced water gardens.
Sipping champagne in the comfort of the opulent water court arcade is a truly delightful experience. An overview of the azure pool, the columned pool restaurant and one of the terraced water gardens. A romantic view of the pool restaurant through the "floating" arches at the end of the pool hotel.
VILLA ROSHA
A HOME WITHOUT WALLS
Looking west across the rice fields, the two-story Wantilan Pavilion seems to sit firmly on the ground. In fact, it is raised about 23 feet (7 meters) above the natural level, offering views of the gardens below and the mountains beyond. Only the paddy farmers and those looking for a photo of the mountains in the background will see the house from this angle.
The Golden Gate, located on the edge of the old water gardens, beckons guests to explore the Blue Bale and the Purple Garden beyond.
THE OLD WATER GARDEN
Inside the old water garden, a row of stepping stones is the nature trail to the Golden Gate, guarded by a pair of bronze Nepalese lucky mice. The bridge in front of the arch hides the divide between the freshwater pool and the Zlata jama waterfall on the left and the waters of the organic pond on the right. The small fountain in front of the Blue Ball, so called because of the blue equipment and decorative accents, is decorated with tiny blue ceramic stars.
THE KULKUL GARDEN
The wrought iron design on the back of the bench, appropriately draped in purple fabric, was inspired by the Agave attenuata, sometimes called "lion's tail" or "swan's neck" because of its curved stems. A full-figured frog frolics in the leaves beside a small grass path that winds up through the edges of the rice paddies. In the background, the water from the pool falls in front of the Golden Grotto.
The constant cool tropical air of the mountain environment is perfect for bromeliads like this. Our horticulturist, Jirachai Rengthong, playfully wears a pair of angel's trumpet flower (Brugmansia aurea) earrings on a path in front of the pool.
THE PURPLE GARDEN
My attempt to set up a tropical scene from Romeo and Juliet failed, but one can still appreciate the depth of the Purple Garden from this point of view. Installing a glass bottom pool was a nightmare involving many experts, specialty glues, fixers and resins, and anyone but this owner would have cemented it in the first year. During the day, beams of dazzling light shine through the blue water and glass bottom of the pool.
Tropical tree ferns surround this 6.5-foot (2-meter) tall Balinese beauty, which sits in an alcove on one side of the waterfall. A glittering red passion flower covers the grassy thatched alang-alang roof over the backstage wall of the Balinese-style theater. The double doors in the center of the stage, also in the Balinese style, are elaborately carved and painted.
THE THEATER
On the stone and brick wall behind the amphitheater-like seats, a series of Balinese legong dancers cast in antique pewter in silver lamay dresses "dance" in the cool breeze, bringing the vignette to life. The stepping stone path leading to the theater from the Kulkul Garden passes between a variety of tall thorny plants.
THE WANTILAN
The dining pavilion and kitchen on the east side of Wantilan seem to float above the water gardens. Made in Sol, this eight-poster bronze daybed is a stunning centerpiece of the Wantilan, from which the owner and his guests can enjoy 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape. I wanted the lights to just clear the top of the cabinets and encourage the owner to use the lower cabinets.
The basin and the pedestals on each side of the bath are made of solid Bandung marble. The beautiful handmade batik cloth at the foot of the bed is decorated with embroidery in gold thread. This section through the Perstuin, Goue Grot, pool, Wantilan and dining pavilion illustrates the relationship of the built-up areas of the pool and Wantilan to the original ground level, indicated by the dark line at the bottom.
THE RICE PADDIES
From the master bedroom deck you can see the stables across the rice fields. Our version of a gubuk pavilion, where farmers sit and pull strings tied with strips of cloth or aluminum foil to scare away birds as the valuable rice crop matures. Overlooking the stepped retaining walls of the Batik lawns and on the same axis as the eight-tiered meru at the far end, an imposing cantilevered daybed on a raised platform makes a dramatic statement (see page 8).
The "Gone With the Wind" staircase at the side of the platform, surrounded by balustrades formed from thousands of stones, also lends a wonderful sense of entry.
THE BATIK LAWNS
In front of the large meru stand two silver meru models, also with an even number of roofs. South of Wantilan is this very small water garden with a lush foreground of water lily (Ophiopogon jaburan variegata). A luxurious section of flooring on the south side of the Batik lawn is punctuated by blue ceramic lights.
Behind the meru is a secret garden made from materials left over from the more important parts of the grounds. These two meru models were originally made for the front of the meru, but were much too large and were replaced by finer silver models. Water, taken upstream from the public moat, is piped into the pond and flows out over the infinity edge wall at the rear of the pavilion.
THE BALE CINIK GARDEN
KARAWACI RESIDENCE FAR FROM SUBURBIA
A covered arcade or walkway connects the living room with the dining pavilion and the rest of the house. Access to the house is down a winding path, around a flagstone patio, resplendent with water and fire features, to the entrance to the formal living room. The owner's office is on the first floor below the dining room, while the master bedroom, children's rooms and family dining room are to the left of the octagonal dining room.
Another view of the owner's office set at ground level with other buildings on the property built around it. Two oval dining tables take up a lot of space in the family dining room, located between the formal octagonal dining room and family room. A mirror in a beautiful old cabinet we found in Chiang Mai reflects the oval shape of the tables.
THE SPA ON THE HILL
As part of the spa's innovative filtration system, water flows from a wall into girls' urns and then into a pool. Following the topography of the site, we divided the spa into two distinct garden areas: the upper gardens and the lower Ayung Gardens, built into a coconut grove already on site. The first time I visited the site, I didn't go down to the bottom of the valley because it was just too steep.
Lek also allows the edges of the alang-alang roofs to hang loosely, in contrast to the traditional 90-degree cut, which works harmoniously. The poleng design used in the garden and spa interior is a Balinese traditional representation of the balance between good and evil. In the classic Klungkung style of Balinese illustrations, Putu Mahendra designed dozens of witty cartoons for the lobby and consultation pavilions that depict the sometimes embarrassing moments of the spa experience.
