Influence of Traditional Island Architecture on Contemporary Architects – Integration

Even this brief survey makes it evident that the influence of traditional island architecture on contemporary architects, including Peter Muller and Mark de Reus, has been primarily intuitive and emotive. The empirical side of this equation is their developed ability to perceive underlying design principles and to integrate Balinese sensibilities, forms, and décor into new creations without destroying their integrity. In this sense, they resemble artists such as Picasso and Matisse, who played a seminal role in acknowledging the power of tribal art by incorporating its spatial, sculptural, and color schemes into a new creation. While the debt is clear (e.g., use of split gates or candi bentar, mud walls, stone carvings, and Balinese elements), the work is done with acknowledgement and respect of the original culture and peoples. de Reus is blessed in that he immediately surrendered to the new order and worked diligently to perfect his own version. In a discipline and time during which the original designs of the architect creator are often compromised by cost, owners’ whims, and committee decisions, de Reus well deserves the accolades he has received.