Indonesia enters post-mo in architecture

Indonesia enters post-mo in architecture

Foreign influence on the architecture of Jakarta and its
surrounding area has resulted in the city's houses and buildings
becoming more and more internationalized. The Jakarta Post
interviews experts on foreign influence, the U.S. in particular,
on local architecture. The following is the excerpt of their
views.

JAKARTA (JP): One impact of globalization is housing designs
in Indonesia have become more varied than ever. Jakartans, in
particular, are quite trendy when it comes to housing and have
adopted many designs.

"There has been a tremendous change in architecture, from the
Classic to the Renaissance, the Art-deco and the Post-Modern.
Indonesia is entering the age of Post-Modern with a combination
of the other styles," said Ciputra, a pioneer in Indonesia's real
estate business.

"There are houses designed in colonial, country, Mediterranean
and post modern styles. In general, all are well-adapted to the
climate here," added Herman Soedarsono, an executive of the
Indonesian Real Estate Association.

The Mediterranean houses, for example, are equipped with
canopies which are not found in the original design, said
Soedarsono.

"In the original countries a canopy allows snow to pile up,
which can be dangerous. Here, we need it to protect our house
from sun and rain," Soedarsono explained.

"We also see a lot of changes and adjustments. A colonial
design, for example, was more complicated before, but now it has
become lighter and more simple. One of the reasons is the cost of
labor is higher," explained Soedarsono. He is a director of PT
Duta Putra Mahkota, a developer who is currently building Legend
City.

A city's architecture is strongly influenced by the lifestyle
of the public and what they need from buildings, said Ciputra.

"The lifestyle of Indonesians is similar to Singaporeans,
Indians, Europeans, Americans, Australians and Arabs. People in
these countries achieve material value through trade and
industrialization. They talk the same language: the language of
trade and economics, and emphasize efficiency and productivity,"
Ciputra told The Jakarta Post.

Local Style

However, Indonesia lacks a local style for urban architecture.

"Today, clients want to be international, because of their
extensive travels to Europe and the U.S. They are also highly
influenced by television. They aren't too keen on ethnic
architecture," offered Gordon G. Benton, the Lippo Village
Township manager.

"They want Mediterranean style, Los Angeles style and Beverly
Hills style. Our marketing people have been successful in
identifying the market and we are very sure of what they want,"
Benton asserted.

According to Ciputra, 99 percent of condominiums and houses
are sold to locals, who are not interested in the Indonesian
style.

Ciputra believes that "the local flavor can be maintained in
the interior decoration which has a less economic function."

Interior decoration has an "emotional function". Therefore,
local art is best suited for the tourist industry, in Bali for
instance, but not for office buildings or condominiums, he added.

"In Jakarta, the most we can do with national art is apply it
to interior decorating, like what the Hilton and Horizon hotels
have done," Ciputra pointed out.

Unlike painting or sculpture, which deals mainly with
creativity, architecture has much to do with science and
technology. It is therefore more accurate to trace the progress
of a nation through its architecture than through its art, he
added.

One style

Benton believes that houses in Indonesian cities will
eventually only have an international style, heavily influenced
by the U.S.

"It would be very nice to see Balinese or Sundanese styles.
But in reality, very few people buy such houses," he added.

Balinese and Sundanese architecture requires a lot of space
and is inefficient in light of the limited land available.

"One basic requirement for international style is efficiency,"
he explained.

Benton pointed out that Wisma Dharmala Sakti building on Jl.
Sudirman in Central Jakarta is very tropical but also very
inefficient.

"It looks like many kampong houses. It's very good-looking,
but hard to clean," he argued.

Even though all cities may have one international style, said
Benton, planners can insert some local content and adjust to
geographical situations. Houses in tropical countries, which have
lots of rain and sun, require ventilation and good roofing. The
house can be big or small, but the yard needs to be spacious
enough.

Houses in elite complexes in Jakarta don't follow these
basics. The houses are so big that only narrow gardens remain.
The walls are very tall, preventing the flow of fresh air.

"As far as housing is concerned, Indonesians are
individualists. They build high walls so everybody can mind their
things. They don't know anything about their neighbors. Even in
the West there are no such high walls," Benton pointed out.

Soedarsono believes Indonesians "don't feel secure without
fences. Not only to protect their household goods, but also their
gardens."

He added that Indonesians prefer to make maximum use of their
property, and therefore don't give too much thought to the beauty
of a house.

"In Western countries, you can enjoy your neighbor's garden,
but not here. We don't want people looking into our garden, and
we don't want to see theirs because of jealousy," Soedarsono
argued.

Soedarsono said a no-fence policy would create problems if
applied to the small plots in Lippo Village.

"You can imagine what you would do if your neighbor's dog
messed up your garden or their son jumped into it. If it happened
everyday, you would build a fence. Only if strict rules are
enforced will Indonesians live comfortably without fences," he
argued.

Challenge

To quench Jakartan's thirst for anything new, developers
compete to offer new concepts.

Jakartans, Soedarsono said, are aggressive when it comes to
houses. "Just imagine, in only two years 89 new apartment towers
were built. If a design is well accepted, other developers will
copy it," he said.

Increased wealth is a major factor of the booming property
business in the past ten years. Many Jakartans own houses or
apartments as an investment.

Chairman of the Association of the Indonesian Architects,
Suntana F. Djatnika, said that the boom poses a challenge for
local architectural firms, construction companies, building
contractors and other related businesses.

"Between Rp 10 and Rp 15 trillion will be spent annually
during the fifth Five Year Development Plan (Pelita V) on
construction. Only 27 percent of the projects will be implemented
by the government, the other 73 percent will be handled by the
private sector," disclosed Suntana.

Most of the endeavors have become mega projects which require
expertise that Indonesian architects just don't have. As a
result, most large-scale projects are handled by foreign
architectural firms.

"I view the deluge of foreign architects as a positive
challenge rather than a serious threat. Their presence has made
us aware of our own weaknesses," Suntana, also a director of the
Team 4 architectural firm, said.

"It isn't a sin to benefit from the experience of foreign
architects. It is a learning process that Indonesian architects
should go through," Suntana stressed.

"We cannot build 60-floor skyscrapers or develop a super block
(an integrated business district) or develop a master site plan
for a mega city if we don't have any experience in dealing with
these big projects. It's a very risky venture because the
projects deal with public facilities. If we fail, it would ruin
our reputation," he added.

The best way to absorb new technology and expertise is to be
involved in these mega projects by acting as an active local
partner.

Regulations prohibit foreign firms from applying for building
permits in Jakarta so they must cooperate with a local
counterpart when implementing any project.

Many foreign architects hand over conceptual designs to their
local partners for them to develop. This enables local architects
to absorb design and management skills, Suntana explained.

Unfortunately, many local architects and firms are quite
satisfied to be "sleeping partners", meaning they only apply for
permits and receive a fee for their services.

"It violates morals. Local architects lose out because they
don't gain expertise. They ruin their own names for being
incapable of standing beside their foreign counterparts," Suntana
pointed out.

Suwarmo Soepeno, president of the architectural firm PT Parama
Loka Consultant, shares Suntana's view.

Local architects, he said, actually have a strong bargaining
position because they know the social and economic conditions of
the country. They know how to handle problems concerning
licensing permits and the workforce.

"Besides, we shouldn't apply all the technology and management
systems of foreign architects because they may not be suitable,"
Suwarmo warned. (als/jsk/raw/sim)