Design philosophy
What is modern about a high-rise building constructed in 1982 for one of the fastest growing cities in Southeast Asia? It is an entirely different looking building from its many counterparts, as Nabil Qirala Sukada writes in her case study, “many of high-rise office buildings in Indonesia applies efficiency and effectivity of building form, cost, and time for construction as a number one priority” (Sukada, p. iii).
Instead, the building makes use of rotational patterns and repetition of certain elements to respond to Jakarta’s humid and tropical climate. It takes into consideration its concrete form, amidst a local context of Jakarta’s rising development, whilst taking into consideration different long and short-term cycles from building life to seasonal heavy rain.
Local context to concept, where progress is Modernism
As much as the local context was relevant to its distinct look, the city’s context as a fast-growing one in a developing country in the eyes of the First World was necessary for consideration.
This building is headquarters to one of Indonesia’s largest trading groups at the time and is situated at an enormous and heavily traveled street where Western-style commercial buildings are a common sight. What is curious in accounts of this is that the office was built with the consideration that the view from above would hold views of low-wood structures around the city. Now with Jakarta’s expansion over the past 40 years, the view from the building is that of even larger skyscrapers, and new transport infrastructures.
Paul Rudolph’s approach for this high-rise office building explicitly desired to take the local climate into account and use traditional Indonesian ‘vernacular’ architecture. Vernacular is a term that is loosely based upon this context, since Rudolph took inspiration of his design from visits to an outdoor architectural museum. His main take, of course, was the climate functions of overhanging roofs.
Speculation of said outdoor museum would be relevant if indeed the place would most likely be ‘Taman Mini’. This would mean that Rudolph took inspiration from a well curated museum devoted to architectural presentations of the State and NOT local vernacular architecture. Seeing that accounts of his visit meant that his main takeaway was purely geometrical and climate functions ascribed to the idea of tropical modernism. Where buildings done in tropical countries with modernist principles take elements from local design to serve a palatable image of progress.
All this would prove relevant as his main architectural form would be a smart interplay of the same geometry done in different rotations.
Design
A great deal of analysis looking into the planning of the building will always fall on a qualitative descriptive analysis based on architectural conventions used in current practice. A great example of this would be a research essay done by two students from ‘The University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta’, who manages to infer simple design principles into the general design of the building. Orienting specific angles of the building to receive enough sunlight; making use of a central void to allow air to rise throughout the building and creating exit points through windows on opposite sides of the building; making use of wide floor plates to not only create spacious floor space but extend as sun shading; down to repetition of concrete sloping overhangs throughout the building arranges to allow rain to flow downwards to a specific area.
Planning
A repetition of planning layout is emphasized with three different geometries arranged in successive order for two-thirds of the building. Concrete 45-degree overhangs become the key identifier to the differences of the layout when looking out, which creates a distinct identity to each floor that is visible. An open office plan is used to allow flexible use, whilst using terraces as outer spaces on each floor.
Materials and Style
Reinforced concrete pillars and steel with a slightly off-centered core form part of the structure of the building with twin concrete columns acting as primary support as a means of providing structure whilst providing a view.
For the skin of the building, white ceramic covers the building as a protective layer to prevent damp and molding on the concrete. It also provides the perfect color to reflect sunlight off and prevent overheating towards the large mass of concrete.
Large massing of concrete becomes a source of thermal massing to provide thermal comfort from within the building. Building orientation guided with the sloped overhang geometry of the building provides good cover from direct sunlight with open terraces, and tilt windows introduce fresh air into the building. Deep eaves become incorporated with the design to keep water away from the foundations and walls.
Recontextualizing in the modern era
As Rudolph’s commission to make the Dharmala building was to integrate principles of landscape and architectural design in his vision of the future of the city, one must wonder if its impact in the long term has benefitted Jakarta and its people as a whole. The building is now occupied by Intiland, hence the name Intiland Tower. Rudolph had envisioned with the project early on that the tower would integrate greenery to create a mixture with architecture and landscape, but an article by Robert Bruegmann states otherwise. As mentioned perfectly, “[T]here are few such gestures of continuity. They are self-contained. For example, the Dharmala Building has a layer of protective parking shielding the complex, which in turn shields its central courtyard. An aerial view confirms that it is just as out of scale and just as intrusive on the neighborhoods adjoining it as the other tall buildings along the street.”
Had it perhaps inspired other large-scale buildings to follow suit in towering amongst the small neighborhoods? It is, if anything, an honest representation of the socioeconomic inequality that exists within Jakarta’s many mega corporate buildings and slums.
References
Arisal. Sari, Y. ANALISIS PENERAPAN ARSITEKTUR TROPIS PADA BANGUNAN KANTOR SEWA WISMA DHARMALA SAKTI JAKARTA. Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta. [Online] [Accessed on 21st of June 2023] https://jurnal.umj.ac.id/index.php/purwarupa/article/download/5697/4357.
Bruegmann, Robert. (2010) The Architect as Urbanist: Part 2. February. [Online] [Accessed on 21st of June 2023] https://placesjournal.org/article/the-architect-as-urbanist-part-2/?cn-reloaded=1
Hidden Architecture. (2020) Wisma Dharmala Sakti Office Headquarters. 27th June. [Online] [Accessed on 21st of June 2023] https://hiddenarchitecture.net/wisma-dharmala-sakti-office-headquarters/
The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. WISMA DHARMALA SAKTI OFFICE HEADQUARTERS. [Online] [Accessed on 21st of June 2023] https://www.paulrudolph.institute/198201-wisma-dharmala-sakti
Sukada, N. Salura, Dr. Ir. (2017) PAUL RUDOLPH’S DESIGN PRINCIPLES ON HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDINGS IN INDONESIA. Parahyangan Catholic University vol. 2, no. 4. Jakarta: Jurnal RISA. [Online] [Accessed on 21st of June 2023] https://journal.unpar.ac.id/index.php/risa/article/view/3048
Image References
The Estate of Paul Rudolph. EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE RENDERING. Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. [Online image] [Accessed on 24th of June 2023]. https://www.paulrudolph.institute/198201-wisma-dharmala-sakti
Kartapranata, Gunawan. (2010) Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum Façade. Wikipedia. [Online image] [Accessed on 24th of June 2023]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purna_Bhakti_Pertiwi_Museum#/media/File:Purna_Bhakti_Pertiwi_Museum_Facade.jpg
Pratt, Trevor. (2014) WHISMA DHARMALA BUILDING. Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. [Online image] [Accessed on 24th of June 2023]. https://www.paulrudolph.institute/198201-wisma-dharmala-sakti
