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)