La Pacha Mama, Bali, by Alexis Dornier

The architect Alexis Dornier has designed an eatery in Penestanan, Bali that brings a bit of Mexico to Indonesia. La Pacha Mama is the first all-natural, plant-based Mexican restaurant in Bali, bringing with it some of the design and architectural references to the world of Latin America.


Eating Mexican food in Indonesia might seem like a contradiction in terms. But you have to remember that the island of Bali is a really popular tourist spot, so its food offerings have also adapted to the tastes of its guests.
And if you find yourself in La Pacha Mama, designed by the architect Alexis Dornier, with a team of chefs offering strictly plant-based Mexican food sourcing only natural ingredients from growers in the Ubud area, where the eatery is located, then you'll enjoy a truly sustainable culinary and architectural experience.
Alexis Dornier took the image of a “hacienda” as the starting point of his design in a renovated building and courtyard. He designed a chair and a bar stool informed by the famous “Acapulco Chair” from the 1950s with its colourful vinyl strapping, also referencing the cuisine served here.
Dornier drew on ideas from Latina America for his architectural solutions as well. The wavy bare brick wall behind the bar in the courtyard is a clear nod to the great Uruguayan architect, Eladio Dieste. The vertical metal frame made using metal arches and cupolas is awe-inspiring and completed with a close-knit weave of repurposed rubber strips from car tyres. The result is original and sustainable shading and at the same time the perfect frame for the lush local greenery with plants hanging down and climbing their way into the semi-open spaces.
With La Pacha Mama, the architect Alexis Dornier confirms his great sensitivity to sustainability and the territory without forgoing beauty or the desire to satisfy the curiosity of guests for another culture, in this case, Mexican, transplanted to Indonesia.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Alexis Dornier
Location: penestanan, bali, indonesia
Area: 300 m2
Year: 2016
Construction: HAL STUDIOS INDONESIA
Collaborators: Eric Urmetzer
Photo Credit: ALEXIS DORNIER