Pitu Rooms: A tall and slender hotel adds new landmark to Indonesian paradise valley

Pitu Rooms: A tall and slender hotel adds new landmark to Indonesian paradise valley
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Pitu Rooms: A tall and slender hotel adds new landmark to Indonesian paradise valley

/ Salatiga, Indonesia /

/ Story: Kor Lordkam / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: David Permadi and Ernest Theophilus /

Standing tall and slender among quaint and inviting country homes, a unique seven-room hotel makes the most of even the smallest space. Named “Pitu Rooms,” it’s situated in Salatiga, a town in the valley of Central Java known for its relatively cool climate and authentic Indonesian lifestyle.

Pitu Rooms

The small hotel has a narrow frontage just shy of three meters, but that’s not a problem for architect Sahabat Selojene. The view of the cityscape is worth the climb, and that’s what gives him the inspiration going forward. The result is a thoughtfully devised skinny hotel that changes the town’s skyline, a design that’s exemplary of ideas in dealing with the challenges of limited space.

A street map shows the hotel’s location within the context of the city landscape. / Courtesy of Sahabat Selojene
The floor plan shows the corridor leading to a reception area on the ground floor. / Courtesy of Sahabat Selojene
Floor 2 holds a guest room at the rear and a staff room upfront. / Courtesy of Sahabat Selojene
Floors 3 to 5 each hold two guest rooms, separated only by a steel staircase. / Courtesy of Sahabat Selojene
The top floor of the building holds a dining room with a view of the cityscape. / Courtesy of Sahabat Selojene
The front elevation in cross section shows guest rooms on Floors 2 to 5 with a reception area on the ground floor and dining room with a view at the very top. / Courtesy of Sahabat Selojene
The side elevation in cross section shows guest rooms in the front and back accessed by a staircase in between. / Courtesy of Sahabat Selojene

Pitu Rooms
A remnant of old building walls is preserved for its great historic value and beautifully integrated into the hotel design.

More than anything else, it’s a clever way to make good use of land left over after the rest has been used. At the same time, it creates business opportunities and is helpful for urban planning and development in the area.

Part of a collection of artworks on display / Courtesy of Pitu Rooms

“Pitu Rooms” rises above what was once an unkempt piece of ground measuring 33.6 square meters in extent. The elongated rectangle is 12 meters long while the façade abutting on the street in front of it measures just 2.8 meters.

Everything changed after the experienced architect saw the potential and transformed it into a business space and, at the same time, took every precaution to avoid damaging or impairing old building walls nearby since their stories were unknown.

Pitu Rooms

Pitu Rooms
The bed is placed against the walls on three sides to make the most of even the smallest space.

The overall effect is impressive. The six-story tall and thin hotel offers quest rooms on Floors 2 to 5 with the lobby and dining room on the ground floor plus the other dining room with a view on the top floor. All the rooms are accessed by a steel staircase inside the building. Steel was chosen for its cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, it’s strong, durable and easy to handle.

Pitu Rooms
The top floor of the building holds a dining room with a view of the city landscape.
Pitu Rooms
An array of awning windows on the east-facing wall opens to admit light and promote good ventilation in the interior.

For good looks, the hotel’s external envelope is adorned with Agra red sandstone coverings indigenous to the area, while the east-facing wall is equipped with an array of awning windows to improve ventilation and lighting in the interior. Together they add character and interest to architectural design, providing a feature of the landscape that’s easily seen and recognized from a distance.

Pitu Rooms
The tall and slender hotel is adorned with red sandstone coverings that blend with existing homes in the neighborhood. The famous Mount Merbabu can be seen from miles around.

Architect: Sahabat Selojene

Structural Engineer: PT. Cipta Sukses

Construction: Eranto Prasetyadi

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