undulating roof echoing a moving fish tail tops pablo luna studio’s tea room in indonesia

fish tail tea room sits beside the ocean in indonesia

Overlooking the ocean in Indonesia and perched beside the Shell Restaurant at the Intaaya Retreat, the Fish Tail Tea Room by Pablo Luna Studio draws from the natural world to create an organic and open space. With forms and a structure inspired by the movement of a fish’s tail and its protective strength, the tea room’s design is a fluid gesture surrounded by greenery — its curved silhouette rising from the landscape and gently tapering. These undulations, from the rounded walls to the curving roofline, are shaped from locally sourced bamboo, rammed earth, and glass, appearing to respond to the motions of the wind and the waves.

pablo luna studio adopts a biomimetic approach

The architects at Pablo Luna Studio integrates the structure within its natural context, located on the idyllic island of Nusa Penida near Bali. The Fish Tail Tea Room’s front and rear walls are composed entirely of glass that brings light in to illuminate the warm, earthy textures and tones of the materiality, allowing those inside to remain immersed in the rhythmic movement of the sea.

The building’s form, reminiscent of a fish’s protective tail, shelters without severing its connection to the environment. Its organic lines and textures borrow from marine shells, their natural symmetry and flowing curves echoed in the architecture. This biomimetic approach enhances the visual harmony of the space and elevates the sensory experience within, utilizing the tactility of the surfaces to ground the concept and enliven it with the shifting light.

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project info:

name: Fish Tail Tea Room

architect: Pablo Luna Studio | @pablolunastudio

location: Nusa Penida, Indonesia