Local architects must gear up for free trade era

Local architects must gear up for free trade era

Rita A.Widiadana, Denpasar

Bali is home to priceless architectural legacies, with thousands of beautifully designed temples, shrines, palaces, public and residential buildings sprawling across the island. A number of the world's most renowned architects have drawn inspiration from rich Balinese architectural elements, adopting them into their modern-style buildings, many of them star-rated hotels, luxury resorts and villas in Bali.

Architect Geoffrey Bawa from Sri Lanka and Peter Muller and Kerry Hill from Australia have carved names for themselves internationally as experts in Balinese architectural styles.

The question remains, however, about the role of local architects. Where are the Balinese architects, whose ancestors were probably the island's best undagi (traditional Balinese architects)? What are they doing? Where are their footprints in their own courtyards?

According to Made Widnyana Sudibya, chairman of the Bali Branch of the Indonesian Architects Association (IAI), Bali has numerous talented and professional architects working both domestically and internationally.

The association currently has 165 members from Bali, West Nusa Tengggara and East Nusa Tenggara provinces. "Our members have been involved both in domestic and international development projects," said Sudibya, adding that only a few people recognize local architects' achievements due to a lack of information.

In order to provide comprehensive information on the activities of the association's members to both the public and potential clients, IAI is presently organizing a one-month architectural exhibition as part of the ongoing Bali Arts Festival at the Denpasar Art Center.

"This is the first major architectural exhibition organized by IAI Bali. It brings together practitioners, academics, students, bureaucrats and other related parties in an integrated event," Sudibya said.

The exhibition, which mainly aims to raise the level of understanding of architecture and to inform the public about the role of architects in their lives, features the work of more than 30 architects and design consultants. The exhibition will also have seminars, competitions, book reviews and other activities.

"It is expected that visitors will embrace the ideas, messages and objectives of the displayed works. But what is more important, the exhibition also functions as a wake-up call for local architects to be prepared to face the present challenges," he pointed out.

IAI member Ketut Arthana, principal architect at Arte Design architectural consultant, said that second only to the capital Jakarta, Bali gets wide international exposure since it has been grown as Indonesia's top tourist destination.

"Architects around the world want to create works on the island since their creations will be easily viewed by people coming to the island," he said.

Bali, he said, has become a fertile, prolific and profitable place for architectural projects and has become an effective training ground for young and inexperience architects.

"The deluge of foreign architects is inevitable. In this era of globalization, we (local architects) cannot just sit and wait and become passive viewers of the island's busy development projects," Arthana commented.

There are a number of pressing problems currently facing the local architecture community, he said.

First is a lack of research and studies, as well as written documentation, of local architecture.

Second, there is no adequate standard or guidance in regards to designing, building, etc. Weak law enforcement to control the various development projects in Bali is another problem.

Like it or not, the era of free trade has forced local architects to improve their skills and basic knowledge, and equip themselves with adequate weapons to compete in the cutthroat architectural world, added Arthana, who is now working on major development projects comprising a theme park, golf course and resorts in Taiwan, Maldives, Hawaii and Costa Rica.

"Many local architects such as Popo Danes and my other colleagues are involved in various projects overseas. We have to convince international clients that Indonesian architects are competent and are ready to enter the world market," he said.

Sudibya and Agus Salendra, IAI's secretary, however, admitted that there were still many architects who neither had the opportunities or the ability to handle large, international projects.

They agreed that better communication and education was necessary to produce quality architects. "At present, IAI is working to improve the skills and enrich the knowledge of its members. We also work with universities that have architecture departments to provide both lecturers and students with wider access to information, books and construction and computer technology," Sudibya said.

In addition to education, IAI is also establishing closer cooperation with provincial governments.

"Bureaucrats and politicians are important elements in the planning and implementation of development activities that will have tremendous social, cultural and environmental implications," he said.

IAI and the Bali provincial government have agreed to set up a design committee that will jointly control and monitor all development projects on the island.

"There must be strict controls from someone or some institution that knows about design and construction, and about how developments are carried out and how they affect people's lives," Sudibya said.

The architectural exhibition will travel to several cities in Bali, including Singaraja in North Bali.