Bale Leneng

Bale Leneng reimagines the busy edge of Sanur Beach as a single architectural gesture that invites tourists and locals to sit together, talk, and watch the famous sunrise. Designed by Nathanael Hanli, Veren Calisca, and Ibnu Zena Sunanda, the project responds to one of the most popular beaches on the island of Bali, set along a 5.1 km coastline on the east coast where visitors come to greet the light that earned Sanur its nickname, the “Sunrise of the World.”

The name Sanur, according to the locals, comes from the words “Saha” and “Nuhur,” meaning to ask permission to enter someone’s house, a memory of the beach’s past role as the main port of an ancient Balinese kingdom. That port function endures today, with ferries and speedboats carrying travelers across to nearby islands such as Lombok, Penida, and Lembongan. The design challenge the architects set for themselves was to accommodate these port activities within an already overcrowded beach without erasing what makes Sanur a shared public place.

A staircase that holds many programs

Bale Leneng (Bale meaning house, Leneng meaning to sit and have a chat) gathers the mixture of programs that already exist along Sanur Beach into one form drawn from the stairways common to Balinese temples and houses. Stepped seating is a generous public-space device: it turns circulation into a place to pause, frames a view, and lets crowds of different sizes find their own spot without formal assignment. Here the steps face the water so that anyone climbing them can settle in to watch the sunrise or whatever event unfolds below.

The stairway typology is combined with a ramp, an inclusive move that opens the upper level to a bike park where tourists can rent cycles to explore the full 5.1 km of coastline. By layering a transit point, a viewing terrace, a meeting place, and a mobility hub into one structure, the project shows how thoughtful public space can absorb the pressures of tourism while still belonging to the community. Rooted in the building traditions of Bali and the everyday rhythm of Sanur, Bale Leneng treats the crowded shoreline not as a problem to push away but as a reason to gather.