Excerpt: Nyrenstone Estate by Alexis Dornier interprets topography through circles and tangents, shaped by the steep slopes of Tampah Hills, Lombok. The residence follows the fall of the land, stepping down the hill as a sequence of circular forms that organize shared and private spaces. Rather than resist the terrain, the architecture grows from it, echoing the curve of the coastline while remaining sculptural, calm, and rooted in place.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] Nyrenstone Estate – Alexis Dornier interprets topography through circles and tangents at Tampah Hills, Lombok.
Positioned on one of the steepest slopes of Tampah Hills in South Lombok, Nyrenstone Estate is shaped less by convention and more by circumstance. The house follows the fall of the land, stepping down the hill while tracing a geometry of circles and tangents that define both spatial arrangement and overall character.
The plan is built around circular forms that correspond to shared spaces—lounges, dining areas, and fireplaces—spaces where people come together. These communal zones sit at the heart of the composition, both spatially and symbolically. Above and around them, private wings for two families branch out, and a circular yoga platform crowns the very top, offering an unobstructed view across the bay.
This descending sequence of forms echoes the curve of the coastline below. The architecture doesn’t resist the steep terrain but works with it, gradually unfolding over multiple levels. The result is a structure that doesn’t land on the site as a single object but feels more like it has grown out of it.
The gesture is clear but measured. Rather than rely on spectacle, the design allows the form to emerge through logic—through topography, view lines, and movement. Each curve, each transition, has a reason. The use of warm teak ceilings, off-white walls, and pale Palimanan stone floors reinforces this approach. Materiality stays calm and consistent, helping the architecture recede into the landscape even as it offers a strong silhouette from a distance.
Nyrenstone Estate also carries echoes of John Lautner’s work—particularly in the way it frames views, how roofs extend to guide the eye, and how space is allowed to flow freely around strong geometric anchors. The house doesn’t try to dominate the landscape, but rather frame it, revealing new perspectives as one moves through it.
The circular motif is not only a spatial device but a conceptual one. It allows for a kind of softness—an informality that contrasts with the formality of orthogonal grids—and invites a slower, more intuitive movement through the house.
As with other works within the Tampah Hills masterplan, this project sits at the intersection of architecture and landscape, and aims to be responsive rather than imposing. Nyrenstone Estate is about finding a balanced presence—something sculptural yet quiet, rooted in place yet open to the horizon.
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