Soon the city of Batu in East Java will see the opening of a new property. Adjacent to Jatim Park recreational area, Holland Park, a resort with four condotel towers, is slated to open in the near future. It is designed by 5G Studio, an architecture consultant based in Dallas, United States of America, in collaboration with a local architecture consultant, Sonny & Sons.
STORY BY Siti Nurbaiti PHOTO BY 5G Studio
True to its name, Holland Park will present the ambiance of the country famous for its windmills. But you would be wrong to imagine that this resort consists only of rows of quaint homes similar to the old houses dating from the Dutch colonial era that are still found abundantly in Batu, Malang and other Indonesian cities. “The compound showcases contemporary Holland architecture,” explains Aditya K.N, the CEO of Alam Persada, the property developer of Holland Park.
Entering the Holland Park recreational area, visitors will be greeted by a futuristic looking structure, which is planned to be used as a ballroom. “We are trying to present a Dutch architecture that can represent grandeur,” explains Hidajat Tjahjono, the principal architect of 5G Studio which is commissioned to design Holland Park. It is hoped that the building’s magnificence and distinctiveness will turn it into a landmark of the vicinity.
The resort compound will be built on a 2 hectare land, with the main block positioned to follow the natural slant of the site. Two condotel towers will be added in the east, along with several shops equipped with an outdoor area above, ensuring they get the best view towards the city of Batu. The other two towers will be located in the west, joining the ballroom, meeting room and the restaurant, allowing them to get a vista of the mountain.
Similar to towns in the Netherlands, the resort compound is designed to have a great deal of parks, corridors and open areas. At the front of the lobby are a drop off area and a lounge courtyard measuring 800 m2 which is adorned with flower gardens. Guests alighting at the drop off area have to pass through the gardens before reaching the lobby. The open public area is crafted with a glass ceiling and louvers to control the amount of natural light entering the gardens. The courtyard continues to the 2,500 sqm condotel and the terraced pool, which cascades into the main pool. In between the condotel and the pool is the Orchard, a beautiful fruit grove for the guests to enjoy.
Across the lobby area is a line of supporting facilities, namely stores that sell souvenirs to mimic those found in Holland. A garden is placed at on top of the building and is connected to the garden below. There is also an open area for guests to ride a bicycle or have fun with their skate boards. “This recreation park brings out the freedom living concept, which emphasizes on relaxation and comfort in a surroundings filled with lush garden and beautiful flowers. This idea is inspired by the Keukenhoff garden in Holland,” he adds.
The lobby will feature a grand façade that appears transparent. No less stately is the ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,200 guests and is slated to be a venue for weddings, exhibitions and seminars. The business center and several meeting rooms adjacent to the ballroom will display a modern design, as will the elegant all-day dining Restaurant that will occupy the lot below the Terrace Lounge.
From the Terrace Lounge, guests will not only enjoy the verdant slopes of the mountain around the compound, but also bask in the beauty of the resort’s azure blue swimming pool, located one level below the all-day dining Restaurant. The picturesque view will be enhanced by the cascading pool with water flowing down into the Wedding Chapel area as well as the flower gardens flanking the pool.
The mountain resort feel is boosted by the placement of the condotel towers on different land heights. For easy access, the towers are interconnected by bridges. “Our design tries to make use of and follow the slopes of the site instead of ‘fighting’ it with cut and fill method. This makes the design more dynamic,” elaborates Hidajat. As seen in the master plan, the towers are not positioned along a straight line.
Each tower encompasses 6 floors: the first five floors house deluxe rooms while the uppermost level accommodates the Sky Villas. “We have around 260 rooms in total, with 12 deluxe rooms on each level, except on the top floor where the Sky Villa is located,” explains Sonny Njonoriswondo, the Chairman Developer of Alam Persada who is also the principal architect of Sonny & Sons. The top level comprises 4 – 5 Sky Villas.
The number of Sky Villas in each tower differs because each unit of Sky Villa has different dimension and design. In spite of these differences, each unit is similarly equipped with a dipping pool with warm water and an open bathroom which is naturally illuminated. The interior of each room, including the Deluxe rooms, will feature a Dutch deco aesthetic.
Owners of Sky Villas in Holland Park are allowed to use their villas every day during the year and manage them privately. But they can also hand out the operational matters to Holland Park’s management, which will be helmed by Golden Tulip hotel operator, by turning them into suite rooms. This is done so that the service for each available room will always stay impeccable.