Lumi Shala, a gathering, yoga, and meditation space at the Alchemy Yoga Center in Bali, Indonesia, features prescriptively curved and meticulously detailed bundles of bamboo arches joined together with structural anticlastic grid shells that curve in two directions to create “petals” opening up to the sky. The arches do not intersect with each other, paving way for lateral bracing and the roof overlaps to define the interior space.
The narrow gaps created with the overlapping bamboo arches allow diffuse sunlight to penetrate inside while the exposed structure informs the internal ceilings. Local studio Ibuku recently completed the structure as part of the offerings in Alchemy Bali, a wellness retreat and restaurant located nearby Ubud town in the south. Using bamboo clad in shiny copper shingles harmonizes this architectural masterpiece with its natural backdrop, providing a sense of oneness and serenity.
“Featuring natural materials with artisanal and innovative systems, its form promotes wellness. Encircled by earth-rendered walls that offer a buttress for yoga practices, it has a comforting sense of enclosure. Bamboo arches soar overhead landing on mounded foundations, a balance that reflects the human form, simultaneously grounding and extending,” Ibuku said of Lumi Shala.
The structure uses five gridshell roof petals arranged in a way so that gradients of natural light wash across each convex interior. This directs the focus inward while “illuminating a space that best helps us embody the yoga practice.” The gaps formed at the base from the arches also provide glimpses out to the landscape when inside.
Completed in March of 2023, the Lumi Shala is very spacious for a yoga studio. It measures 69 feet wide, 75 feet long, and 30 feet tall and boasts a 227 square meter circular floor area.
Learn More Here
Images courtesy of Ibuku
