SAKA Museum in Bali opens daily with design by two firms
SAKA Museum at AYANA Bali is now open daily, with architecture by Mitsubishi Jisho Design and interiors by Napp Studio. The museum’s concept draws on Nyepi, water and the Saka calendar.
By Mukmin John
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 2 min read
Bali — SAKA Museum at AYANA Bali is open to the public and operates daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to the museum’s official site. The museum was designed by Japan’s Mitsubishi Jisho Design, while Hong Kong-based Napp Studio & Architects handled the interior design, according to AYANA’s official materials.
The project’s central concept is “A Moon on Water,” a design idea Mitsubishi Jisho Design says informed the building’s crescent-like form, its placement over water and its meditative visitor experience. AYANA and the museum also say the site was conceived to reflect Bali’s culture through references to Nyepi, the Saka calendar and the relationship between water, nature and harmony.
Design rooted in silence, water and movement
According to Mitsubishi Jisho Design, the museum was completed in August 2023 and opened on Sept. 29, 2023. AYANA’s materials also say the museum was previewed ahead of an official opening in 2024, and later describe it as open since 2024; the official museum site now lists daily public hours.
The architecture uses a curved, moon-like roof and a water basin beneath the building, while the approach sequence is intended to slow visitors down as they enter the space, according to Mitsubishi Jisho Design. AYANA says the design also points east and west to reflect sunrise and sunset and connects to Balinese agricultural and cultural symbolism.
Napp Studio & Architects was brought in for the interior design, with AYANA saying the firm was selected for its museum experience work. The museum’s interior features a darkened ceiling and about 3,000 points of light arranged to suggest a night sky, a feature linked in the reporting to Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence.
Landscape and cultural references
AYANA says the project also involved landscape planning that preserved a tree on the site and integrated the building with surrounding water and gardens. The museum is described as a cultural institution within AYANA Bali, and its official site says it observes Nyepi Day and closes to visitors on that day.
Both Mitsubishi Jisho Design and AYANA describe SAKA Museum as a space intended to present Balinese art, religion and culture in a contemporary setting. The museum’s official site and company materials now present it as operating normally, with daily opening hours and public ticketing information.
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