Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine June 2018 | Page 102

100
Explore | Interview
Architecture in Indonesia
provides empty spaces, for
example in Yogyakarta’s
royal palace or Toraja’s
houses. For Indonesians,
empty spaces are
transformative spaces.
Forty years have passed, and Ary’s creativity
remains in tune with his original motivation.
“I often get inspiration when I’m having a
shower,” he says, adding that, when inspired,
he is not afraid to change a whole concept,
even during an ongoing project. “That’s why
my team say I shouldn’t have showers too
frequently,” he laughs.
Ary also draws inspiration from movies –
anything from the latest Hollywood
blockbuster to an Indonesian favourite – but
as long as he has enough time to contemplate
an idea, inspiration can come from anywhere.
“Contemplation is essential for architects to
give depth to their designs,” he says.
Ary’s designs, both independently and under
Aboday, encompass a diverse variety of
buildings, including apartments, hotels,
offices, schools, museums, houses and places
of worship. “One of my ongoing projects at
the moment is the BNI 46 building in
Pejompongan, Jakarta,” he says, referring to
a 30-floor asymmetric tower that is scheduled
to be completed by the end of the year.
“I always want my designs to contribute to the
city lifestyle and skyline, and I believe BNI 46
will do that. I don’t think there’s a tall building
in Jakarta that has a ‘lips shape’ like that.”
Ary’s personal imprint is clearly visible
in his work. “I love fluid shapes,” he says.
“When light falls on a curved surface,
it will spread wider. And I also love to play
with spaces and scale.”
While obviously happy when clients are
open-minded enough to give him free scope
to explore his ideas, Ary is also fully aware that
collisions between architects’ idealism and
clients’ wishes are an intrinsic part of the job.
Compromise through communication is the
key to handling these situations, he stresses,
and that is why architects need to be master
communicators as well as great designers.
Ary believes architects also need to be
highly adaptable. “In Aboday, we are quite
flexible and we are open to working with
various parties,” he says. “I think that is one
of the reasons why this company has kept
growing in its 12-year journey,” explains the
architect, who worked for AXIS Architects
Planners in Singapore for eight years before
establishing Aboday.
Ary’s ambition continues to expand as fast
as his high-rise towers. With Aboday, he has
published two books on architecture – F
Book: Fame, Fortune, Flirt in 2013 and Firmitas
in 2017 – and he was recently selected for
the prestigious role of chief curator of the
Indonesia Pavilion for the 2018 Venice
Architecture Biennale. It has been Ary's
responsibility to determine the concept
and build the pavilion, one of more than 60
national pavilions presenting contributions
from around the world at the Biennale,
being held from May 26 to November 25.
“I feel so honoured to be chosen out
of the 70 architects in the competition,”
Ary says, adding that his concept is built
around the theme Poetics of Emptiness.
“Architecture in Indonesia provides empty
spaces, for example in Yogyakarta’s royal
palace or Toraja’s houses,” he explains.
“For Indonesians, empty spaces are
transformative spaces; full of
philosophical meaning.”
While his working days may be dominated
by designs on a grand scale, the architect has
a couple of smaller but equally significant
projects in his scope. He plans to design
a place of worship that welcomes people
of all religions. He is also building a house
where he grew up, in Salatiga, Central Java,
to meet his needs in later life. When there’s
no pressing business, he plans to fly there
every weekend – with Garuda Indonesia,
of course. Ary says the hospitality of the
airline’s cabin crew is commendable.
“I can feel the friendliness right from
the moment I step on board,” he says,
before closing our interview, no doubt
with half-a-dozen ideas for new designs
and concepts whirling in his mind.