OMA Designs Good Times Store, Bali, Thatch, Recycled Plastic
The Good Times General Store in Seminyak, Indonesia, features rammed earth walls and terrazzo floors with recycled bamboo offcuts, alongside furniture from waste plastics.
OMA Designs Bali Retail Space
The Good Times General Store, located within Potato Head’s Desa Potato Head resort village in Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia, has been designed by Rotterdam-based architecture practice OMA.
This new permanent retail space, developed with Ade Herkarisma, Potato Head’s Group Head of Architecture and Development, integrates traditional Balinese building methods with contemporary design principles.
The exterior of the cubic structures, situated beneath the elevated OMA House, is clad with locally sourced alang-alang thatch, a traditional Balinese roofing material that provides a textured finish.
Interior Palette Emphasizes Local and Recycled Content
Inside the store, the material selection continues to blend local resources with recycled elements. Walls are constructed from rammed earth, utilizing local clay to create a warm, grounded atmosphere. Floors feature pale terrazzo embedded with recycled bamboo offcuts, adding a subtle graphic detail.
Other interior materials include reclaimed timber and bamboo, contributing to a minimalist aesthetic characterized by clean lines and a muted color palette. Expansive windows and dark-framed portals connect the internal spaces and integrate the surrounding tropical landscape.
Circular Design Through FF&E and Workshops
The store's layout guides visitors through the lifecycle of materials and objects, featuring Potato Head’s product ranges and collaborations. This includes the "Wasted" collection of furniture and homeware, crafted from discarded plastics and other waste materials in partnership with British designer Max Lamb.
Beyond finished products, two dedicated spaces focus on material processes: a natural-dye studio producing pigments from food and plant waste, and a plastic-molding studio for experimenting with recycled plastic sourced from collectors across Bali and Java.
Public workshops for dyeing, painting, and pattern-making are currently offered, with weaving, upcycling, and sewing workshops scheduled to begin in 2027.
Implications for Asia's Hospitality and Retail Projects
This project offers a tangible example for specifiers and developers in Asia's hospitality and retail sectors seeking to integrate sustainable material sourcing and circular design principles. The use of local alang-alang thatch and rammed earth from indigenous clay demonstrates how traditional Balinese building materials can be reinterpreted in modern commercial contexts.
Furthermore, the incorporation of recycled bamboo offcuts in terrazzo and furniture made from discarded plastics highlights avenues for upcycling waste streams into functional and aesthetic elements.
Procurement teams can explore local material suppliers and waste processing initiatives, while designers can reference this approach for future projects aiming for environmental responsibility and unique material expression.
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