Popo Danes commited to aesthetic Bali
Text by Susi Andrini, photos by Murdani Usman
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): In the eyes of architect Popo Danes, Balinese people rarely appreciate their island's vast and precious architectural heritage.
"Balinese architectural philosophy and designs are famous all over the world," Popo said. Strangely, as shown in many coffee table books, many buildings in Bali are designed, built and owned by foreigners.
In Bali, he said, there are as many as 1,500 architects, however, a large number of them work in alternative fields, such as land brokerage, contract work and other professions. Only a few, he added, are innovative and creative enough to design houses and other buildings.
That fact dismays the 37-year-old architect. Aiming to raise Balinese people's awareness of their own architectural assets, Popo is exhibiting some of his architectural designs in the form of sketches, models and photographs at the arts center in Denpasar until Aug. 25.
He discovered that rapid economic development did not correlate with intellectual growth among locals. The majority of Balinese people are becoming more and more materialistic, hedonistic and consumptive.
"Many of us don't have time to realize that understanding aesthetic values of space and time is important to achieving a better quality lifestyle," Popo said.
Popo believes that Bali's architectural potential has not yet been optimized and that local architects still don't have the courage to offer valuable contributions to create a harmonious Bali.
"The results are so distressing. Bali's cities look so chaotic. A lot of buildings were poorly designed, ignoring the city's master plan and aesthetic values," Poop commented.
The development of rumah toko (shop houses), or locally known as ruko, accommodate only business people and their business interests.
"Bali is now transforming from the island of a thousand temples into the island of a million shop houses," Popo lamented, adding that it only required a few years to construct thousands of shop houses.
In the process, several antique Balinese houses are hidden by banners and even giant billboards.
Childhood
When he was a four-year-old child, Popo was already keen on drawing. But unlike most children of his age, his drawings depicted house designs, sketches of village houses, or something that might have inspired him while accompanying his father to various construction sites.
"I liked watching people erect a building, starting from mixing sand and stones, arranging bricks ... it was so beautiful," recalled Popo, whose first project -- a small house in Banyuatis village in North Bali -- came when he was still at high school.
Later on, he studied architecture at Udayana University in Bali, receiving a special architectural award and appreciation from the province's governor during his study. He then obtained a scholarship from the Rotary Foundation enabling him to further his studies in the Netherlands.
He also visited several European and Asian countries, as well as the United States and Australia. The travel exposed him to a variety of different architectural styles, enabling him to effortlessly combine traditional and modern esthetics, or smoothly blend Eastern and Western architectural elements without losing his traditional Balinese architectural roots.
The island's tropical climate has influenced most of his designs, both in terms of shape and line. When he designs a house, for instance, his first commitment is to harmonize the building with its landscape and the surrounding community.
He frequently receives orders to design commercial villas, hotels and tourist facilities, the result of Bali's fast-growing tourist industry.
As his design skills have matured, Popo has developed what he often calls home accommodation style, in which he carefully blends traditional nuances with modern comfort.
"When building a house, I now understand about cost, quality design and its maintenance. I prefer simple yet striking designs," he explained.
His designs often contain a bedroom with panoramic views and colonial-style roofs, his design signature. He also likes building open-air bathrooms resembling traditional Balinese bath houses and bale-bale, a Balinese-style pavilion.
Popo tries not to make significant changes to the contour of the land. Instead, he will adjust the structure to fit with the landscape.
Some of the architect's accomplished projects include the Gayatri villages near the Ayung river in Ubud and the Natura boutique hotel.
Despite having a reputation as one of Bali's promising architects, Popo is quite choosy when accepting projects.
In some cases he will immediately reject a proposed project which is against his commitment to preserving the Balinese culture and environment. He once refused a large-scale project because it was to be located on a fertile rice field.
"I am not a good architect for everybody," said Popo, who owns Popo Danes Arsitek architectural firm. With some friends, he has also established a non-profit foundation, Yayasan Wisnu, which supports various environmental issues.
Apart from his exhibition, Popo has also organized a drawing contest called Rumahku (My House) for elementary school students, as well as discussions, seminars and film screenings on architecture.
"I have always dreamed that in the future Bali will become a place where people enjoy its rich architectural heritage. A real example of a beautiful island with beautifully designed buildings and gorgeous natural landscape," he said.