Sumba Diving Center

ITALIAN ARCHITECT IN BALI

Antonio Rutilio is an Italian architect based in Bali, specializing in luxury villas, resorts, and real estate developments across Indonesia and international destinations.

A Dive Base on the Savanna Coast of East Sumba

Designed in full by Antonio Rutilio in 2024, the Sumba Diving Center stands on the coast of Tanjung Ngaruruh in East Sumba, just beyond the Sumba Dream Resort, facing a long white-sand spit and the reefs offshore. The building combines a complete dive school with a small guesthouse: about 915 m² of gross floor area over three levels, from the technical basement for compressors, equipment and wetsuits to the guest rooms beneath the great pyramid roof. The project was developed from concept to a complete Archicad model with floor plans, sections, elevations and 3D visualizations.

Architecture Gallery

Visual Narrative

Sumba Diving Center — Pool Deck and Outdoor Lounge — Pool Deck and Outdoor Lounge

Sumba Diving Center — South-East View with the Pool Deck — South-East View with the Pool Deck

Sumba Diving Center — West View with the External Stairs — West View with the External Stairs

Sumba Diving Center — Front View with the Covered Terrace — Front View with the Covered Terrace

Sumba Diving Center — Aerial View of the Complex — Aerial View of the Complex

Sumba Diving Center — Terraced Decks and Pool from the North — Terraced Decks and Pool from the North

Sumba Diving Center — Frontal View on Pilotis — Frontal View on Pilotis

Sumba Diving Center — Ground-Floor Gallery towards the Sea — Ground-Floor Gallery towards the Sea

Sumba Diving Center — Open Ground Level under the Building — Open Ground Level under the Building

Sumba Diving Center — Ground Floor Plan — Dive School, Shop and Terrace — Ground Floor Plan — Dive School, Shop and Terrace

Sumba Diving Center — Basement Plan — Workshop, Compressors and Wetsuit Room — Basement Plan — Workshop, Compressors and Wetsuit Room

The Vision

A Sumbanese Peak over a Tropical Pavilion

The architecture reinterprets the tall peaked roof of traditional Sumbanese houses: a timber pyramid rises to 13.6 metres from a wide hipped roof whose deep overhangs shade the upper floor and its continuous wraparound balcony. Below, the building opens up as a pavilion on slender columns, with timber decks, a bar and a covered terrace facing the sea, while the lower volumes follow the slope of the land. White plastered walls, natural timber decks, railings and stairs keep the palette simple and in tune with the dry savanna landscape.

Sumba Diving Center — Upper Floor Plan — Six Guest Rooms — Upper Floor Plan — Six Guest Rooms

Sumba Diving Center — Building Sections — Building Sections

Sumba Diving Center — Elevations — Elevations

Sumba Diving Center — 3D Model — Pool Deck and Outdoor Lounge — 3D Model — Pool Deck and Outdoor Lounge

Sumba Diving Center — 3D Model — South-East View with the Pool Deck — 3D Model — South-East View with the Pool Deck

Sumba Diving Center — 3D Model — Terraced Decks and Pool from the North — 3D Model — Terraced Decks and Pool from the North

Sumba Diving Center — 3D Model — West View with the External Stairs — 3D Model — West View with the External Stairs

Sumba Diving Center — 3D Model — Aerial View of the Complex — 3D Model — Aerial View of the Complex

Sumba Diving Center — 3D Model — Bird’s-Eye View of the Roof and Decks — 3D Model — Bird’s-Eye View of the Roof and Decks

Sumba Diving Center — 3D Model — Front View with the Covered Terrace — 3D Model — Front View with the Covered Terrace

Sumba Diving Center — 3D Model — Main Elevation and Pyramid Roof — 3D Model — Main Elevation and Pyramid Roof

The Lifestyle

Dive School, Guest Rooms and Pool Deck

The program is organized by level. The basement houses the technical heart of the dive center: workshop, storage, compressor room and a large wetsuit room. The ground floor holds the men’s and women’s changing rooms, a photo room, the office, the dive shop and a classroom, all opening onto the covered terrace and bar. Upstairs, six guest rooms with private bathrooms and a staff room share the panoramic balcony. Outside, a terraced timber deck with sun loungers and dining tables leads down by external stairs to a raised swimming pool overlooking the coast.