The Art of Going Slow: Design Hotel The Slow Bali

This slick new boutique property in Bali effortlessly blends design, art, music and luxury, writes Grace Smith.

Just around the corner from the crowded, tourist-clogged streets of Bali’s Kuta Beach, lies the lesser-known coastal village of Canggu, a secluded surfer’s hamlet favoured for its challenging waves and sophisticated dining and cultural scene. It is here that Australian couple George Gorrow and Cisco Tschurtschenthaler, in collaboration with architect Rieky Sunur, have opened The Slow; an immersive resort concept blending boutique interiors, art, fashion and music.

 

The design places an emphasis on raw materials, including exposed concrete brickwork, wooden partitions made from native timber, and locally sourced stone floors. The almost industrial architecture is juxtaposed with striking contemporary pieces from Gorrow and Tschurtschenthaler’s photography-heavy personal art collection, which includes international established and emerging artists, many of whom are personal friends of the couple.

In fitting with the resort’s location, an underlying theme of contemporary surf culture permeates the art collection, with striking underwater and beachside imagery such as “Shark Boy” by Australian photographer Greg Nagel, curated throughout the property. Interspersed with these contemporary photographic pieces are more abstract works, including the polymorphic drawings of Brooklyn-based artist Rostarr, which greet guests in the property’s entryway. Each guest room contains a unique collection of images, curated to represent a particular period in the lives of the owners, many reflecting the modern surf theme, while others feature experimental pop art, architectural shots and even rock-and-roll photography.

The extensive collection spills out from the 12 guest rooms into Room 13, a dedicated gallery space where guests can view some of the property’s larger and more striking pieces while sipping a freshly roasted Balinese coffee from the gallery’s barista bar. Fans of the fashion label Ksubi may also find something of interest next door in Room 14 where men’s lifestyle brand NON-TYPE is housed. The brand is the result of a collaboration between Gorrow and Gareth Moody; two of the three co-founders of Ksubi.

It is not only the interiors that are curated at The Slow, with audio by Reverberation Radio playing lost-gem tracks from across the decades throughout the venue. Guests’ tastebuds are also well catered for, with Eat and Drink serving up meals and tea infusions, juice extractions and inventive cocktails made from specialty spirits.