Tropical Modernism
Around the World

Bali, Indonesia

Perched in the vibrant heart of Canggu, The Bohemian Bali orchestrates an architectural choreography where industrial grit meets Balinese reverence. What began as the transformation of an old warehouse has been crafted by architect Josefina Gruenwald into a sanctuary that feels less like a hotel and more like an immersive spatial anthology, blending lofty ceilings and expansive openings with the organic rhythms of Bali’s lush foliage.

Here, the utilitarian strength of concrete and steel is tempered by the warmth of local materials, such as rattan, hand‑carved timber, and stone, while large sliding walls dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior. It’s a place where the tactile roughness of industrial modernism coexists with handcrafted details and artful installations, each suite unfolding like a curated gallery infused with Balinese spirit. 

Conceived by architect Andrés Saavedra with a keen respect for the raw coastal jungle and rolling surf, Hotelito at MUSA’s design marries the crisp clarity of modernism with the organic warmth of local craft and climate‑responsive thinking. Clean, minimalist volumes frame sweeping 180‑degree panoramas of ocean and horizon, while open‑air living spaces, cross‑ventilated rooms, and rooftop gardens blur the boundary between built form and landscape, harnessing breezes and shade in lieu of air‑conditioning.

Natural materials—stone, Parota wood, handmade black terrazzo, and granite—are layered with tactile, handcrafted details from Mexican artisans, giving each space a serene, wabi‑sabi sensibility that is at once understated and rich with texture.

Bacalar, Mexico

Tucked gently along the iridescent shores of Bacalar’s legendary Laguna de los Siete Colores, Boca de Agua’s architecture doesn’t just sit in nature but takes its cues from it. Designed by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo, the resort’s elevated treehouse‑style villas rise on slender pillars that preserve the jungle floor and allow the local flora and fauna to flourish uninterrupted beneath, minimizing the project’s footprint and inviting the surrounding ecosystem into the guest experience.

Light latticed woodwork filters sun and breeze, while materials drawn from the region—wood, stone, and recycled artisanal elements—root each space in its place. Communal pavilions and walkways knit together lagoon deck, pool, restaurant, and relaxation spaces with visual anchors that echo the ancient vernacular of the Yucatán.

Lombok, Indonesia

Nestled on a secluded white‑sand fringe of Ekas Bay, Innit Lombok’s seven beach houses, conceived by Indonesian architects Andra Matin, Gregorius Supie Yolodi, and Maria Rosantina, reinterpret the traditional Lombok lumbung (barn‑like structures) through a pared‑back, minimalist lens, elevating simplicity into an immersive dialogue with sea and sand. Each villa’s open‑plan living areas sit directly on the beach’s soft grains, letting sunlight, breeze, and the rhythm of the waves become part of the architecture, while upstairs bedrooms with expansive glass frame uninterrupted views of Ekas Bay.

Locally sourced wood, stone, concrete, and glass are thoughtfully used to ensure the buildings sit lightly within the landscape, their clean, cubic forms harmonizing with rather than dominating the natural environment.

North Malé Atoll, Maldives

Set against the endless blues of the North Malé Atoll, Patina Maldives, Fari Islands’ design dissolves into its natural setting rather than competes with it. Conceived by renowned Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan of Studio MK27, the resort’s low‑slung, rhythmic structures are a study in biophilic minimalism, their delicate lines and earthy materials—wood, linen, stone, and rattan—echoing the organic palette of the island while remaining respectfully horizontal to preserve uninterrupted views of sky and sea.

Spacious beach and water pool villas feature expansive sliding glass walls and open‑air transitions that seamlessly invite the outside in. Throughout the resort, communal spaces and public buildings resonate with a calm, tactile sensibility, proving that modernist clarity and ecological consciousness can coexist gracefully in one of the planet’s most breathtaking landscapes.

Phuket, Thailand

Sitting on the serene sands of Nai Yang Beach in Phuket, The Slate unfolds a bold architectural narrative where industrial chic converges with tropical sensibility. Conceived and meticulously curated by architect‑designer Bill Bensley in collaboration with the Na‑Ranong family, the design draws deeply from Phuket’s tin‑mining heritage, transforming reclaimed metal, concrete, and wood into a vocabulary that references industrial history without feeling austere.

Across courtyards, pavilions, and villas, raw textures from riveted steel and polished concrete to upcycled mining relics are softened by lush tropical gardens and water features, creating a dynamic interplay of machine‑inspired grit and natural calm. Interiors and communal spaces pulse with artistic whimsy and cultural resonance, where handcrafted elements and local craftsmanship anchor each space in its Thai context.