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Adhi Moersid Design Style as Architect in Post War Era

Study Case : Kagunan Karya Arsitektur Adhi Moersid

Daffa M Akmal Alwee

1706019873
Faculty of Engineering
Department of Architecture
Universitas Indonesia

Abstract

The Emerging of Kagunan has marked asa benchmark on the Post-war architecture in Indonesia
beyond the Nation-building era of Soekarno. With this style emerging , it becomes clear to public
that architecture for Adhi Moersid is conceived as the work in the sense of kagunan; the concept
conveys idea, context, task and articulation that the essence of building is necessarily functional. In
terms of kagunan,understanding architecture is all about starting in the framework of implement that
works well, and aesthetically is beneficial as the second consideration of the project. This essay is
purpose is for tribute or deeply research and thinking and having new knowledgement and also
critical thnking. This essay also is studying on the less famous of Adhi Moersid’s architecture which
is not every element of people know it. This is to say that this study is in the search for the essential
beyond what has been built as artifacts and things. The focus is to reveal and disassemble the aspects
of the life-world that matters for the presence of its architectural form, material, technique, and
function in relation to humanity.

Keywords: Adhi Moersid, Post-war, Architecture, Indonesia

Brief Biography of Adhi Moersid

Adhi Moersid was born in 1937 that will going to be the initiator of Indonesian architectural
design development. Graduated in 1968 from Department of Architecture and Fine Arts, Institut
Teknologi Bandung,-ITB-. The School of Architecture is the first institution that trains and educates
early generations of architect in Indonesia. Even though we know that in the early beginning of ITB
most likely the lecturers and Professors came from the dutch, but not every one of them teach that
student should be design as the Dutch architect itself. One important lecturer was the Dutch Prof.
VR van Rommondt who taught from 1950 to 1962. He is the pioneer of architectural teacher and
scholar who dedicates his teaching with a passionate care for local and vernacular architecture. His
care for pride of local architecture had been proved with his successful leadership in the restoration
of Prambanan Hindu temple complex in Yogyakarta in the era of 1930s. Under his teaching and
guidance, students were trained and educated to appreciate vernacular and monumental buildings
across in Indonesia that to learn how rich their countries itself in aspects of designing of mass. Field
trips are done to historical and vernacular of Java and Bali were part of the school’s educational program.
During the conflict with the Dutch on the status of Papua, the government of Indonesia urged Dutch
professors in many Indonesian universities to leave the country, but yet still Prof. VR van Rommondt
asked privately by president Soekarno to stay at ITB until his retirement.

.Getting Know with Kagunan

The concept has been clearly defined in the book as something useful in practical sense and
beneficial in in the context of humanity. By having this concept, author provided with a leading
guidance that supposedly illuminates and binds up the Adhi Moersid’s works as a whole. At the
beginning early methods of designing kagunan in the first part is to work in the architect’s private
house, that utilizes and implements a simple construction system based on board- and-nail joint. What
giving question is the context reality why such this construction method and system has been applied
for the small dwelling mass like an example of housing . Of course, the main reason was probably
related to the insuffiency of building materials in the market and the early New Order program that
we know its little bit hard to found in that era because the economical crisis that happen in Indonesia
. However , the private house is the fundamental of the works of Adhi Moersid that will be going to
develop furthermore during the journey, namely the significance of colonial heritage for the presence
of architecture in Indonesia.

The main line of kagunan for the big buildings such as hotels or plaza that showing multiple mass
for inhabitant that the architect designed, having the importance of style related to colonial
architecture as its precedence study by the designer. The problem is of course not the question of
style and appearance but the what can be perceived or what is the contribution of European heritage
for the development of architecture in Indonesia. From this thinking , the concept of kagunan in the
book moves to deal with more likely to the inner privacy or spiritual things in architectural style.
The style of kagunan perceive the author and audiences to experience the beneficial dimension of the
concept that works within humanity in terms of aesthetics and the need for humbly including to the
superiority things. Author see that the main idea in the book is the mission of kagunan in the
practical world. Creating and establishing landmarks that reminds people on their time-space reality
from the past, present, and to the future. However, the interesting part is how to elaborated
revitalization with historical aspects.

The kagunan preceived how the old fashioned style of historical architecture, can be adapted into
new styled developed design. To replacing thinking of only conservatism and starting to move on
to more likely modern style . The kagunan sets of method that necessary for dialog in the way of
building time and space. This is understandable for those who always search for truth beyond the
appearances. Everything goes from houses, palaces to that presents in multiple dwelling
conversations.

Mostly architectural design issues today does not have any big attention unless it concerns and
deals with urbanity. The architect can utilizes kagunan for urban built forms in the way of cost
conscious design and of adapting new technology and new building materials based on fabricated
system of construction. The kagunan as a statement that giving newly generation of architect lot
of thinking and question:If the architect divides the style into two categories of kagunan and non-
kagunan, how can we get a whole understanding of it that straightly leads to the answer.

Way of Developing His Works

As cultural and characteristics of Architecture student , Adhi Moersid learn to be as closed as
possible real world of architectural practice since his times in college. During those times, learning
from the masters is the best way to the world of practice. One of his mentor is Soejoedi.
Learning process from the master is probably neither a class-room instructional or practically in
the field. It became an intuitive process in terms of learning by observing, following, doing and
reflecting.

Based on his years graduation, he become of the second generation of Post-Colonial architects. He
worked and learn together with Soejoedi, the first generation of Indonesian architect, that will doing
projects from Soekarno that having characteristics of anti-colonial, with the team of six that later
become the founding members of Atelier 6 architects and Planners established in Jakarta 1968.
 Figure 1 Hilton Executive Club. Source : Archnet

The cultural atmosphere in the end of the 1960-s and the beginning of 1970-s was not supportive
for building industry because the economic situation in the country. Catastrophic domestic
economy and political chaos characterize the situation of the country at those years, between
1965 and 1973. Adhi Moersid witnessed the nation-building projects under rules of President
Soekarno. He worked with Soejoedi for the Conference for New Emerging Forces (Conefo)
complex from 1965 to 1966, now use as the Parliament Building. It was one of the large scale
development projects after the Senayan sport venue or the Gelora Bung Karno for 100.000
spectators designed by Fredrick Silaban and Russian Architects; the Conefo complex comprises
the floor area of 80.000 square meters.

Adhi Moersid in the atelier 6 have done various jobs done, from lower position until the head of
designer. Some projects have lot relation with kagunan style, such as: Social Facilities of the
Indonesian Aviation Industry in Bandung, hotels and mosques in various cities.
Lack of informations making the author hard to find the information about projects that related
with kagunan.
 Figure 2 Masjid Said Naum. Source : Rindumasjid

Adhi Moersid tend to be patient in terms of approaching his every design style, with a long progress
of exploration and reflection through previous project. He is a person that having patient as main
fundamental for maximum creative exploration. Everything must go with the flow during
exploration of tectonical design aspects and followed by its own function. Kagunan lead the progress
of design from its very basic idea until more complexity and having various level variety, from
spiritual aspects, supporting aspects. For him the most important in design progress is appreance
with function. Kagunan provides the architect with solid foundation of thinking, that following from,
form, space, function, atmosphere and surrounding environment that having good impact with
humanity near the location of the project.

As an individual architect and a team member of Atelier 6, Adhi Moersid plays an important role
in shaping and establishing a new architecture in Indonesia. The search for cultural identity is always
the quest of the company’s practice from the beginning of their business in 1968. The characteristics
and features of the Hilton Club are having unique in its attempt to deal with modern construction in
tropical humid climate. Exposed concrete shear wall-structure for the steep roof and terracotta floor
material demonstrate an attempt to accommodate the need of modern urban society for meeting place
with leisure and wellness facilities, very different and unusual for people that having business
meeting, Adhi Moersid only following his knowledge and attitude of design and creating new
development of design.
Individual to Communal design of Adhi Moersid

Getting know with Adhi Moersid, books said that we have to know that his own individual
dwelling compartment or a house. House can be place that every people find their sense of
freedom from their own way of thinking. Learning from the well known Heidegger huts, that the
architect tell can found his own personality and avoiding from contamination from other thinking.
Comperhensive study to architect house we can trace and search of his intimate and prefer of
design studies. From its architectural expression, Adhi Moersid’s house is like any house in the
area, far from luxurious and complexity; it stands on the site filled with lush trees and plants. The
spaciousness of the house is provided with flowing spaces at various floor levels, ans
architecturally united under simple gable roof forms covered by terracotta tiles. is constructed on
wooden board-and-nail frame. Adhi Moersid, his wife, Ananda, and his son Satrio have been living
in their family house in South Jakarta area since 1975. The house for him is an oasis; it is more than
just a place of stop.

Figure 3 The residence of HS Dillon, Jakarta. Source : Books of Kagunan by Ananda F Moersid
2013: 115)

Approaching design style of Adhi Moersid its all about purely simply about professionalism in
developing it way, it spirit of collaborating with another architect or the client itself. The guiding
principle for the cooperation is comprised with the single concept of kagunan. Accordingly, what
is to design is out of necessity for something essential, and omit everything that overwhelmed or
overdesign the project. In the sense of kagunan, working on form, material, construction, and
aesthetical treatment is worked out within the search for something necessary that presents the
genuine life-world as it is; a house is capable for being a home, a hotel for a temporary stay with
comfort and provided with amenities.

Figure 4 The residence of HS Dillon, Jakarta source: books of Ananda F Moersid 2013: 115)

The search for kagunan of architecture has deeply research in the reason for home in community. It
is the reason why the architecture of Adhi Moersid strives the necessity for cultural in local tradition
and geographical condition. The integration into local context becomes crucially necessary because
from which the work is able to present as a relation between inhabitant and surrounding of the life-
world from family house, neighborhood, village, town, city to global world. Adhi Moersid understands
this search for integration in terms of kagunan.
References:

https://archnet.org/authorities/14

https://iai-jakarta.org/berita/lihat/gold-medal-2017

http://library.binus.ac.id/eColls/eThesisdoc/Bab2/2008-1-00024-AR%20Bab%202.pdf

http://www.erfgoedkloosterleven.nl/zoeken/ collecties-zoeken.php Pusat Dokumentasi Arsitektur,

PDA,