Modern architecture in Indonesia doesn’t have its develpoment in the country. As other architectural style that is imported from the western countries, This style coming to Indonesia because of influence of globalization the modern architecture style developed as an international style that has similar appearance and concept in all coutries. At least modern style keep having a similarity that function as the beginning of design. In Indonesia, modern style is considered as a style wheere functionality is also the beginning of design
The modern design has a character of a simple style, clean, functional, stylish, trendy up to date, and have a connection with modern lifestyle . The modern lifestyle is supported by development of technology, whereas many things that were not applicable or available become more availabe for many people.
In the modern lifestyle, the society seems to like things that are easier and quicker because of many tools are made industrially. The basic character of modern lifestyle is a demand to move faster, and do everything faster, that is supported by technology and industrialization.
Technology is developed to make work and daily life easier like the development of information technology that enable people to communicate using devices like telephones and computers.
Quality and speed have become important factors in modern lifestyle. There is an intention to see the value of devices based on the function value or how many function that a device has, and based on its support to modern lifestyle that demand easier and fuctional devices.
In architecture, the modern lifestyle has its impact to the will to own simple building, clean, and functional as a symbol of modern spirit. But this kind of lifestyle (in Indonesia) can only be owned only by high class, especially they who live in big cities, where life demands faster lifestyle, functional and efficient.
In Indonesia, modern lifestyle that is implemented sometimes still has aesthetic ornaments that is brought from classic or ethnic style, while other parts of the building is designed in pure modern design. It is often for us to hear ‘modern classical architecture’, ‘ethnic modern architecture’, ‘modern traditional architecture’, ‘modern Balinese architecture’, etc. In Indonesia, it seeems to be obvious that ornaments is still implemented in modern design, but this will make this kind of architecture to be ‘blurr’, whether it is modern or postmodern?
To call this modern architecture style that has ornaments as pure modern style, is not appropriate, beside the process of development of this kind is not happening in Indonesia. To call this as postmodern style, nonetheless, in Indonesia this term is often avoided to anticipate a misunderstanding in society. So this ‘modern’ architecture style in Indonesia will appear as ‘Indonesian modern architecture style’ with characters as follows:
- It pays big attention to function, based on the activity pattern of the dweller or user
- It has a big attention to building materials that are used to bring the desired aesthetic
- It has the analogy of machine in the arrangement and development of space
- It avoid ornaments (if it is modern style), or use ornaments (if postmodern), or being called ‘modern ethnic architecture’, ‘modern Balinese architecture’, etc.
- It simple shape and ornamentation or vanishing ‘unnecesssary’d details as far as desired by the designer or the owner of the building
by Probo Hindarto
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