Revealing local architecture's tense history

Astrid Wibisono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Architecture Documentation Center is holding an architecture exhibition called Tension -- Span, which aims to reveal the friction and debates sparked during Indonesian contemporary architecture's 100-year history.

One of the creators of the exhibition, Nanda Widyarta, said this should serve as an incentive for the next architectural discussion. "We try to portray the tension in architecture, which has been a heated debate over the years."

The exhibition is not intended only for architects but also the general public. It aims to widen the public's perception that architecture also functions as a society builder rather than just mere steel and glass.

"Architecture can be a tool for social manipulation. But only if the architects are ambitious," he added.

Tension -- Span exposes one hundred years of Indonesian architecture and is divided into four segments consisting of several models and walls full of visual information. It also has a timeline board which explains the history of Indonesia's architecture from 1870 to 2000.

The first part exposes the formation of Dutch-Indies society through a synthesis of East and West.

When professional architects arrived in Indies, they allegedly started the first exploration and debate on Indies architecture. In their discourse, many Dutch architects built their creations in Bandung, such as Denis Bank and Savoy Homann Hotel, Drie Locomotive, Vila Isola and Hotel Preanger.

The next part examines the Nation-Constructing Modernism. It is related to Soekarno's "nation building" scheme that projected a free and progressive Indonesia. Within the same scene, the board displays buildings in Jakarta, such as the Pola building, Conefo building, the French Embassy, Hotel Indonesia, the National Monument (Monas), and the Gelora Bung Karno.

The third part covers "Rooted-ness and Locality". In the late 1960s, Indonesian architecture tried to find its identity by looking back to its grassroots tradition. A team of architects, who designed the University of Indonesia's Administrative Center Building, aim to find "Indonesian-ness" through a rationalist approach.

The last section tells the story of an ongoing exploration. Fresh architects, who are united in Young Indonesian Architects (AMI), try to explore design possibilities and the potential to meet society's demand. Besides AMI, there are other young architects' groups like FAM, SAMM, De Maya, and BoomArs. Their creations are Steel House by Ahmad Juhara, Gedung28 by Andra Martin, and Trafacon by 12 Akitek. Their soon-to-be-built projects are the Tsunami Museum by Doni Dwipayana and Kupat Kumis by AMI Last. The latter is an environmental project, which has a rooftop that can accommodate evacuees.

Besides showing 15 total building models in its four sections, the exhibition screens a five-minute documentary film, which explains the content of the exhibition. The film will be played repeatedly during the exhibition.

The whole room was made as if the person viewing the exhibition is walking on a giant checker board -- thanks to the aid of red tape lining the floor and walls. Dana, the designer of the room, said that Erasmus Huis had fully supported the design team in accomplishing their work. "I've never found an exhibition place like Erasmus Huis, which has allowed us to utilize the room according to our ideas."

The team, which consists of 10 people, needed around five months to plan and execute their work.

An architecture student visitor, Vanessa, 20, said that the exhibition was intriguing. "I came here to see the models and the exhibition has escalated my architecture knowledge," she said.

The exhibition is going on until January 11, 2008 will see the launching the book Tension , and the documentary film Rumah Angin (The Wind House) at Erasmus Huis, HR Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta.