AYANA Bali’s SAKA Museum recognised at Kyoto Global Design Awards

SAKA Museum, AYANA Bali’s innovative cultural hub and knowledge centre committed to preserving and promoting the island’s vibrant living heritage, was named among the Top 100 in this year’s Kyoto Global Design Awards. 

The museum’s interior designers, Napp Studio & Architects, were recognized in the Environmental Design category, which emphasises a project’s harmonious integration with its natural surroundings. 

The honour comes just three months after SAKA Museum was included in Time Magazine‘s World’s Greatest Places 2024.

The Kyoto Global Design Awards recognize excellence across diverse design fields, spotlighting projects that excel in both aesthetics and environmental responsibility. 

Reflecting on SAKA Museum’s recognition at the Kyoto Global Design Awards, its director Judith Bosnak expressed gratitude for Napp Studio’s dedication to creating an exceptional cultural experience rooted in authenticity and environmental awareness. 

Bosnak said: “This recognition celebrates the ingenuity of our entire SAKA Museum team, while also underscoring the profound importance of sustainable, accessible, and cutting-edge venues for cultural learning.”

Casting the spotlight on Balinese heritage

Hong Kong-based Napp Studio & Architects designed SAKA Museum, their biggest project to date, to reflect Bali’s distinct spiritual and cultural landscape with a state-of-the-art approach. 

Their captivating interior translates traditional Balinese Hindu philosophies and motifs with a contemporary yet timeless appeal, which speaks to both local and international audiences across generations.

Co-founders Aron Tsang and Wesley Ho drew on Nyepi, the island’s annual Day of Silence, to guide visitors through a serene, introspective experience. 

The museum’s lobby features a dark, subtly lit ceiling resembling the constellations of Bali’s night sky. The space transitions to a soft glow at sunset, when 3,000 LED lights begin to twinkle, an effect achieved through a carefully arranged grid of lights that ingeniously conceals structural elements and fixtures.

Napp Studio & Architects maximised the use of local materials such as gray granite flooring and volcanic rock to harmonise with Bali’s natural landscape, reduce the project’s environmental footprint, and strengthen ties to the community. 

According to the studio founders: “Our concept aimed to capture the essence of Nyepi, using lighting, local materials, and a colour palette that invites calm reflection, forming spaces that aren’t fixed but are open to personal interpretation.”

Meanwhile, SAKA Museum’s Knowledge Centre, a resource and artefact hub for conservationists, artists, researchers and students, was designed in a warmer palette evoking a wooden chest. 

The only one of its kind on the island, the Knowledge Centre strengthens AYANA Bali’s mission of celebrating Bali’s cultural identity and encouraging deeper engagement with all its aspects in a modern environment.