Bott's modernist work forges dialog with the past

By Sona Vora Blessing

JAKARTA (JP): One of the strongest designers of urban buildings in the world, 54-year-old Swiss architect Mario Botta, is noted for his influential role in the revitalization of modernist architecture.

His designs combine the clean, abstract forms of the modern movement with an acute sensitivity to human needs. He first gained international attention with a series of remarkable private homes he built in Switzerland, which while clearly modernist, recall such archaic, primitive and vernacular sources as the bold, geometric forms of the architecture found in his native canton of Ticino in Switzerland.

His works also have a strong connection with classical architecture, and is characterized by axial organization and symmetry. Notable among his large-scale urban projects are the Malraux Cultural Center in Chambery, France, the Bank of Gotthard in Lugano, Switzerland, a library in Villeurbanne, France, a cathedral in Evry, France, a modern art gallery in Tokyo, and an administrative building each in Pusan and Seoul, South Korea.

A prominent figure in the world of architectural thought as well as practice, Mario Botta was recently in Jakarta to give a lecture to 150 architects as part of a conference organized by the Jakarta Chapter of the Indonesian Institute of Architects.

Says Mr. Yudha, an architect and organizer of the lecture, "Everybody who attended the lecture knew he was a master. But after the lecture, they were fully convinced of the fact."

He added that the lecture was a great success.

Here are excerpts from an interview with Mario Botta.

Question: What was the purpose of your visit to Jakarta?

Answer: The purpose of my visit to Jakarta was two-fold. First, it was to conduct a conference at the invitation of the Jakarta Chapter of the Association of the Indonesian Institute of Architects. Second, I was also the judge of a competition the association held for architects over 50 years old.

As an architect, what is your impression of Jakarta?

This is my first visit to Jakarta, and it was an overwhelming experience. So my judgment of the city's architecture was sentimental, dramatic and very special. It stirred up mixed emotions of sadness and happiness.

Sadness because it seems the city has ancient architectural structures and a rare heritage that haven't been preserved, which is a pity. But on the other hand, it is amazing and impressive to see the immense development and progress this city has made.

Since Jakarta is a megapolis, a major center of commerce and business, it has naturally witnessed an enormous explosion. It has a cosmopolitan character, and has acquired an architectural style that is modern and international to match. And in this process it has lost what was perhaps its own typical architectural style. But then that is the fate of a lot of big cities -- be it Jakarta, Tokyo or Mexico. They are not planned cities, they emerge.

This is sad, for cities should resist the banalization of modernization. However with planning it is possible for architects to account for a historic stratification.

Do you believe Indonesian architects can draw from their architectural heritage?

Of course it is impossible to recover wholly what is old and ancient. But perhaps what Indonesian architects must try to achieve is a balance in their style -- attain an equilibrium between what is ancient, historic and characteristic of the past and what is modern and international.

Perhaps one way to achieve this balance is to have a contrast. To have a dialog between architectural styles of the past and those of the present. This poses the biggest challenge for an architect, including myself. But such an approach leads to rationalism and gives rise to work that grows with contradiction, leading to something new -- a style that is post modern, of which I am a proponent.

What inspires your work?

Women. For me women symbolize life, love, patience, creativity. It is the spirit of women that drives my creations, and I try to capture it in my work.

What are the materials you like to work with?

I like to work most with natural materials like stone, bricks, wood and cement.

What sorts of constructions do you like most?

I just like to create. It could be anything -- a house, a bank, a library, a church, a museum.

Would you like to build something in Jakarta? And what would it be?

Yes, if given an opportunity I would like to build something in Jakarta, and I am open to building anything.

What salient feature distinguishes your work?

Light. It represents life, but by itself it is nothing. But when the right materials are used to define it, it becomes everything. Hence, it is very important to choose the right materials, for they emit vibrations.

And in my designs, I ensure that those vibrations are the ones that human beings are in sync with. I also believe that since there exists a special relation between day and night -- and between daylight and darkness -- it is important for an architect to realize this and to account for it in his work.

I feel a structure must be designed so that the amount of light that flows in makes those within it experience a sense of well being and so are in sync with the natural forces. I also do not believe in superficially imposing structures from top down.

There must be a sense of evolution from bottom up. This is very important for me. It is perhaps even metaphoric of how life itself evolves.

What is the most important aspect of your work?

What is most important in my work is a sense of clarity. There must be a sense of orientation. And I try to achieve a sense of harmony between man and his environment. I like to work with nature and not against it and its forces. And that is why I believe there must be a clear center of focus, which can be likened to the spine that runs down the human body. I believe my work has a sense of stability and wellness, which comes from being focused.

What, according to you, is the world's best architectural monument?

There is not just one but several in my opinion. But what makes an architectural monument stand apart are features such as its dimensions; its capacity; what it symbolizes metaphorically and spiritually; the techniques used and how functional it is. Bearing this in mind, some of the architectural monuments that fascinate me and I consider outstanding would be the Great Wall of China and the Acropolis in Athens. But I am also a great admirer of just houses that are built with simplicity and intelligence. For instance, the typical Indonesian stilt houses -- they are practical and serve a purpose.

Why did you choose to be an architect, and not a sculptor or a painter?

It still remains a mystery to me. But being an architect gives one work. It needs passion and gives one a mission. An architect has the capacity to modify an idea, and the ability to work with a natural form and transform it into a cultural form. To give shape and create something new is a special feeling.

What would you like to be remembered for?

For my work. But that is the force of an architect. The ability to be immortalized by one's own work. Long after we die, the structures we build survive us.