Senja Restaurant

Bamboo and thatch beach restaurant facing the sunset

CategoryHospitality
LocationSumba, Indonesia

Location: Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Site: On the sand, at the water's edge, facing the sunset
Area: 120 m², single-storey open pavilion
Programme: Dining hall, bar, deck and beach lounge

Senja Restaurant

Senja is a beach restaurant on the island of Sumba, in Indonesia. The name means ‘dusk’ in Indonesian: the whole venue faces the sun setting into the sea. A 120 m² pavilion set on the sand opens on all sides beneath a large thatched roof.

You arrive barefoot, along a path of large dark stone slabs set in the sand, between frangipani trees and wicker lanterns. The bamboo frame, tied with rope, carries rattan pendant lights and white linen curtains that move with the breeze. Beneath the roof, the bar, with a raw wood top and a bamboo front, faces the sea, and the tables on the deck follow the golden light until nightfall.

Bamboo, thatch, rattan, linen and light wood: natural, local materials, in a bohemian-chic mood, that leave the ocean centre stage.

Materials

BambooPosts, frame, bar façade, slatted screensGolden and light, it structures the space without closing it in
ThatchDouble-pitched roof, overhang towards the seaCool shade and filtered light
Light woodDeck, bar top, tablesWarm underfoot, it weathers with the sand and salt
Rattan and wickerArmchairs, stools, pendant lights, lanternsWoven, light, they set the bohemian tone
White linenCurtains tied to the posts, cushionsA veil that moves with the breeze
Sand and lava stoneSlab path, edges of the pavilionYou arrive barefoot, with no threshold