Desa Potato Head, Bali’s first creative village which has been marketed as a place where music, art, design, food, wellness and sustainability will collide, will soft open to the public next month.
The Desa (which means village in Indonesian) already includes Katamama and the brand’s landmark Beach Club. The final element of Akili’s decade-spanning project is the Creative Centre, designed in partnership with Rem Koolhaas-founded OMA and led by managing partner-architect David Gianotten.
The Creative Centre will include 168 guest rooms, a farm-to-table restaurant, numerous bars, a multifunctional gallery, a kids’ club, several rooftop activation areas, an amphitheatre, a beachfront pool with daybeds, a music recording studio, a permanent home for dance music’s Wild Life Archive, and next door, a subterranean discotheque designed in partnership with DJ Harvey.
Potato Head will unveil each of the aforementioned spaces throughout early 2020 while adding to their programming, which will include beach workouts developed by Ocho System, various forms of sound healing, long-table dinners, sustainability workshops, sunset performances and music events.
The soft launch will shine a light on Potato Head’s global and local collaborators. Each studio features furniture and amenities made from recycled plastics and planet-friendly materials conceptualised by celebrated British designers Max Lamb and Faye Toogood, whose work is brought to life by Balinese artisans using indigenous materials and techniques as well as Potato Head’s own Sustainism Lab, an R&D team dedicated to finding circular solutions.
As part of its sustainability efforts, anyone checking into Potato Head Studios or Katamama will receive a zero-waste kit, which includes a water bottle, RPET tote bag, bamboo straws and other essentials, as well as refillable amenities like sunscreen, after-sun care and insect repellent.
Guests can stay at Potato Head Studios from December 17, 2019. Bookings are now open online at potatohead.co for the Creative Centre and Katamama. The fully completed Desa will open in May 2020.
