Tropical Al Fresco Dining at Parachute, Bali
Parachute is a bakery, deli and farm-to-table restaurant located in the paddy fields of Berawa, Bali. Zhi Xiong Chan of ZXC Studio tells us more about his approach to designing the project
Image by Ginting Fraim
How did you end up working on Parachute?
I’d been working with the client on another restaurant project in Bali, which unfortunately wasn’t realised. In the meantime, they’d been conceptualising Parachute and a few months later they got in touch with me to help illustrate the idea to pitch to their investor. When they got the green light, we continued from there.
What was the project brief?
The client wanted to create a relaxed outdoor dining experience with a menu showcasing honest cooking with locally grown and seasonal produce. Open from morning till late at night, the atmosphere would cater to both casual cafe and intimate evening dinner moods. The venue would have an extensive kitchen with a working bakery, an indoor kitchen and an outdoor kitchen for wood firing. Freshly made dishes and baked goods would be on display for guests to select from a grab-and-go deli, and an on-site organic farm would provide a limited supply of home grown herbs and vegetables.
Image by Agung Kautsarr
Image by Agung Kautsarr
What design references or narrative did you try to incorporate into the space?
With its location in the middle of open rice paddies and views looking out towards the coast, the layout was configured to highlight the beauty of the setting and help visitors detach from the increasingly busy surrounding area. The building is set back several meters from the roadside, with a floating timber walkway leading into the space. A lush garden of bamboo and banana trees at the periphery provides a buffer from the outside world, immersing visitors in the setting.
The venue’s namesake is a reclaimed 20-metre cargo parachute that floats over the outdoor deck, providing shade from the sun. The deck is anchored by an island bar, above which an eight-meter-high mast holds up the parachute at its apex.
Image by Ginting Fraim
Image by Ginting Fraim
We looked at the community arts project Parachute Days as a point of reference. Held in Point Reyes Station, California, a large-scale reclaimed parachute is set up in a field as part of a temporary events venue for the sharing and creating of music, art and food. Artist and co-founder of the project Gabriel Korty came to Bali, bringing with him the military surplus parachute, and we collaborated on setting up the parachute over the deck, as well on creating the reclaimed timber motifs that feature around the venue.
Reflecting the candid ethos behind the menu, the restaurant is designed with a focus on engaging guests with its creations. The kitchen is at the heart of the venue, and views to the bakery and indoor kitchen are filtered through displays of fresh bread and produce. Towards the rear of the venue, the dining area sits on an elevated deck, set against the backdrop of the open fire grill and oven. The deck looks over the communal farm and out to the surrounding rice fields.
Image by Ginting Fraim
Image by Ginting Fraim
Please tell us a more about the material choices for the space.
To retain a relaxed mood and draw attention to the parachute as the main protagonist, the architectural material palette was pared back and kept to neutral finishes and organic materials. The main building is rendered in spray-textured cement, with natural timber framing and panelling on doors and windows. Reclaimed materials feature throughout, with timber shutters, doors and panelling salvaged from a nearby building site incorporated into the facade, deli display cases and bar counter frontages. The venue is filled with vintage furniture from the client’s personal collection alongside locally sourced pieces. Together with the parachute, these found and repurposed elements bring a sense of old charm and spirit to the space.
How long did the build process take?
The build for this project was extremely fast. Construction began on site in January 2018 and the venue opened to the public in late March of the same year.
As told to / Suzy Annetta
Image by Agung Kautsarr
Image by Agung Kautsarr
