Artotel Waingapu

Presented by Relan Masato from Krea Architects at ARCHINESIA “10×10=INFINITY” in Jakarta; Wednesday, August 12, 2026

[English text below] Di tengah lanskap Waingapu, Sumba Timur, Artotel Waingapu hadir di kawasan yang masih relatif jauh dari hiruk-pikuk industri pariwisata. Proyek ini datang dengan brief program yang cukup generik: hotel berstandar internasional dengan sekitar 120 kamar, restoran, kolam renang, ballroom, serta fasilitas Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition (MICE) berkapasitas hingga ratusan orang. Program semacam ini dapat ditemukan di berbagai kota lain di dunia. Tantangannya kemudian terletak pada uniformity of brief: bagaimana menghadirkan hotel dengan standar yang familiar, tetapi tetap terasa berada di Sumba. Terlebih, Waingapu memiliki karakter yang berbeda dari pusat pariwisata Indonesia, dengan infrastruktur komersial yang masih terbatas, namun kekayaan budaya yang kuat.

Persoalan tersebut membawa perancangan pada konsep placelessness, yang melihat tempat bukan sekadar lokasi geografis, melainkan ruang yang dikenali, dialami, dan memiliki makna. Pemahaman ini diterjemahkan melalui pembacaan terhadap tapak dan lingkungan lokal. Dengan elevasi yang cukup curam menuju laut, hubungan antara bangunan dan kontur menjadi penting.

Pendekatan tersebut kemudian diterapkan dengan memecah program hotel menjadi beberapa blok yang mengelilingi sebuah central space. Kolam renang, lobi, restoran, dan berbagai fasilitas publik ditempatkan di sekitarnya untuk menciptakan hubungan yang lebih cair antar fungsi. Ruang publik juga dirancang adaptif karena hotel berskala besar ini sekaligus membawa infrastruktur baru bagi kawasan.

Sementara itu, elemen yang memiliki asosiasi kuat dengan Sumba kemudian diterjemahkan melalui bahasa arsitektur kontemporer. Struktur atap mengambil inspirasi dari karakter kuda-kuda rumah tradisional Sumba, tetapi diwujudkan dengan konstruksi metal. Sementara itu, struktur atap, dinding, dan lantai dibuat seolah terpisah untuk menghasilkan ekspresi yang ringan sekaligus menghindari bangunan menjadi replika arsitektur tradisional.

Pemilihan material turut memperkuat hubungan dengan konteks. Kayu asli sempat menjadi material yang diinginkan sejak awal, tetapi skala dan anggaran proyek membuat penggunaannya sulit diterapkan secara keseluruhan. Limestone kemudian dipilih karena kedekatannya dengan karakter material lokal.

Pada akhirnya, Artotel Waingapu berada di antara dua kebutuhan: memenuhi ekspektasi sebuah hotel internasional sekaligus menghadirkan pengalaman yang khas Sumba. Sebab, daya tarik Sumba justru terletak pada hal-hal yang tidak familiar—lanskap yang masih asli, budaya yang kuat, dan pengalaman terhadap tempat yang tidak mudah ditemukan di destinasi lain. (rvx)

Artotel Waingapu

Amid the landscape of Waingapu, East Sumba, Artotel Waingapu is situated in an area still relatively removed from the bustle of the tourism industry. The project began with a fairly generic program brief: an internationally standardized hotel with approximately 120 rooms, a restaurant, swimming pool, ballroom, and Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition (MICE) facilities capable of accommodating hundreds of people. Such a program could be found in cities around the world. The challenge, therefore, lay in the uniformity of the brief: how could a hotel meet familiar international standards while still feeling distinctly Sumbanese? This question was particularly relevant in Waingapu, whose character differs from Indonesia’s established tourism centers, with limited commercial infrastructure but a strong cultural identity.

This issue led the design toward the concept of placelessness, which considers place not merely as a geographic location, but as a space that is recognized, experienced, and imbued with meaning. This understanding was translated through an exploration of the site and its local context. With the terrain descending steeply toward the sea, the relationship between the building and the contours of the land became an important consideration.

The approach was then applied by breaking the hotel program into several blocks arranged around a central space. The swimming pool, lobby, restaurant, and various public facilities are positioned around it, creating more fluid relationships between functions. The public spaces are also designed to be adaptable, as the large-scale hotel simultaneously introduces new infrastructure to the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, elements strongly associated with Sumba are reinterpreted through a contemporary architectural language. The roof structure draws inspiration from the distinctive trusses of traditional Sumbanese houses, but is realized using metal construction. The roof, walls, and floor structures are deliberately expressed as separate elements, creating a sense of lightness while preventing the building from becoming a replica of traditional architecture.

The choice of materials further strengthens the relationship with its context. Natural timber was initially envisioned as a primary material, but the scale and budget of the project made its extensive use difficult. Limestone was subsequently selected for its affinity with the character of local materials.

Ultimately, Artotel Waingapu sits between two needs: meeting the expectations of an international hotel while offering an experience that is distinctly Sumbanese. After all, the appeal of Sumba lies precisely in what feels unfamiliar—the pristine landscape, strong cultural identity, and experience of places that cannot easily be found in other destinations.