Architectural elements play a pivotal role in defining the aesthetics and function of a structure, particularly for any residential, business or community premises. A well-designed building garners admiration in terms of its beauty and strength, and it all depends on the skills and eyes of its architects. Indonesian architecture has evolved gracefully from the beginning of its civilization to the post-independence era, and well into the modern world of today. Through it all, the architecture remains as a reflection of the cultural, historical and geographical diversity that represents Indonesia as a whole. From the minimalists to the eclectics, Top 10 of Indonesia takes a closer look at Indonesia’s most notable architectural firms gracing the country’s architecture industry. 

A track record of over four decades has earned PT Ong and Ong an unparalleled reputation when it comes to offering integrated solutions for the built environment. Although founded in Singapore in 1972, its Indonesia office was established in 2012, where they completed The Summit in Jakarta and Marvell City in Surabaya, both being mixed developments and the latter a self- contained ‘city’ within a city. Other projects also include large-scale luxury developments in Jakarta to five-star resorts in Bali. Kamala Kandara, a residential development in Jakarta, was shortlisted for the Future Housing Category for the World Architecture Festival 2017.

As technology evolves, SHAU, an architecture firm that was established in 2008 by Florian Heinzelmann, Tobias Hofmann, and Daliana Suryawinata, focuses on designing socially and environmentally responsible beautiful buildings and cities. With offices in Rotterdam, Munich, and Bandung, SHAU offers a comprehensive approach to projects from architecture design to urban planning and regional strategy. Several key projects include ‘Muara Angke Fishing Village’ housing and masterplan in Jakarta, ‘Leitenhaus’ single-family house by the Danube in Germany, ‘Film Park’ and ‘Microlibraries’ in Bandung. The firm is also actively involved as curators or contributors in various cultural and creative events worldwide, including The Venice Biennale and the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam, master classes, lectures, and workshops.  Some of the events initiated and led by SHAU in Indonesia are ‘Kota Tua Creative Festival’ and ‘Jakarta Vertical Kampung’ masterclass. SHAU has garnered numerous awards and accolades for their stellar design incorporating aesthetics and sustainability, the most recent being the Silver Award winner in the LafargeHolcim Awards Asia Pacific 2017 and Small Firm of the Year Award in Sustainable Architecture from the American Architecture 2017.

Good design doesn’t always have to be complicated. Celebrating the beauty of minimalism, Das Quadrat, an architectural design company based in Surabaya, embraces minimalism and modern as their design style, believing that the highest functionality can be achieved with the most basic elements. Established in 2004 by architects Enoch Muljono and Aditya Tan, in the past 10 years, Das Quadrat has finished almost 150 projects in and around Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali including commercial, private property as well as luxury villas. Hailing from Surabaya themselves, Muljono and Tan are dedicated to contributing their talents for the development of their hometown, believing that the industrial city could one day turn into an innovative, greener, safer and more orderly city.

The duo architects at Andyrahman Architects, Andy Rahman, and Abdi Manaf produce architectural works that are progressive and up-to-date, yet contextual. Their innovative and fresh design features embody their passion for continued learning in the world of architecture. To them, good architecture must be able to stand in context, be harmonious with nature and becomes a marker of times. Since its establishment in 2006, Andyrahman Architects has produced more than 300 projects spread across Indonesia, including architectural works for private residences, offices, business premises and community buildings. One of their projects in 2016, ‘Biophilic Boarding House’ was selected as a finalist at the 2016 World Architecture Festival in Berlin.

Another notable architecture firm, Airmas Asri carries the philosophy that architecture is not merely about beautiful designs and impressive buildings, it is also about creating physical environments that not only adds value to their clients but also improves their quality of lives. Their innovative projects include Kota Kasablanka, the vibrant one-stop center lifestyle mall in South Jakarta, and Panin Tower Urban Office Tower in Senayan City. (photo credit: http://www.airmasasri.com/ )

Believing in the individuality of its clients, Bias Tekno Art Kreasindo is a firm seeded in Santa Monica in 1991, but quickly made a name in Indonesia after being extensively published in local and international architectural publications for their first house design. Although infamously labeled as not having similar identities in their buildings, the firm proudly receives it as a compliment because of its conviction in the uniqueness of each of their clients. (photo credit: http://biasteknoart.com/ )

Han Awal and Partners Architects was founded by the late Han Awal, a renowned conservatory architect known for his contribution and works for the restoration of historic buildings in Indonesia. Today, the esteemed architectural firm continues to provide stellar architectural services to clients, through projects spanning the whole Indonesia. Its strength lies in restoration works for heritage buildings, a specialty that is crucial for Indonesia to keep her culture and identity cherished in her heritage buildings for the appreciation of the generations to come. (photo credit: http://haparchitects.co.id/architecture-residential)

Celebrating co-existence and harnessing the unique abilities and style of its three architects helming the firm – Rafael David, Ary Indra, and Johansen Yap, Aboday Architects is all about creating beautiful architecture through their synergy. Their design philosophy is not bound by any grand idealisms or style inclinations. Instead, they design by relevance, long as it is contextual and most importantly beautiful. (photo credit : http://www.aboday.com/project.php?works=1)

Budi Pradono Architects (photo credit : http://www.budipradono.com/  and HST Architects (photo credit: https://www.hst-architect.com/portfolio/)  are laudable for their specialty in synergizing human-made and natural materials, evident in their projects for hospitality premises such as the Rumah Tanah Liat in Lombok and The Ridge in Jimbaran, Bali respectively.