Balinese architecture

[1] Today, the contemporary Balinese style is known as one of the most popular Asian tropical architecture,[2] due largely to the growth of the tourism industry in Bali that has created a demand for Balinese-style houses, cottages, villas, and hotels.

Balinese temples and palaces are exquisitely decorated with rich ornamentations, both wooden and stone sculpting, which usually depict floral patterns.

[2] Traditional Balinese architecture, adheres to strict and sacred building laws, allowing much open space and consisting of a spacious courtyard with many small pavilions, ringed by walls to keep out evil spirits and decorated with guardian statues.

Unlike European architecture, Balinese houses and puri (palaces) are not created as a single huge building, but rather a collection of numerous structures within walled enclosures each with a special function; such as a front open pavilion to receive guests, main bedroom, other bedrooms, pelinggihan or pemrajan is a small family shrine, living areas, and kitchen.

Most of these pavilions are created in Balinese balé architecture, a thatched roof structure with or without walls similar to Javanese pendopo.

The balé gede is a pavilion of 12 columns, where the oldest male of the family sleeps, while wantilan is a rectangular wall-less public building, where people convene or hold cockfighting.

The prominence of Bali as a popular island resort with cultural significance has stimulated demand for modern Balinese architecture applied to tourism-related buildings.

Hotels, villas, cottages, restaurants, shops, museums, and airports have incorporated Balinese themes, style, and design in their architecture.