The Guild – Jakarta
A large wall protects and disguises an extraordinarily open and airy building deep in residential Jakarta. When I first saw this building, with its circular windows and doors and vast amounts of concrete, it struck me as some kind of Brutalist Hobbit’s home – in the best possible way. Admittedly, I was blown away. Moreover, when I discovered that this is not only a family home but also an architect’s studio, library and dentist clinic I was completely bowled over.
The building, named The Guild, is the creation of Realrich Sjarief, an Indonesian architect (his studio is RAW Architecture) who had the foresight to recognise the economy of his time, his need to be close to his family and work and also a want to help young people engage with architecture.
The family’s home consists of a master bedroom, kitchen, living area and nursery as well as a small study and prayer room. The private quarters of the building are separated from the design studio by a spiral staircase. The studio with concrete wall punctuated by the repeating circular and arch forms is split over a main and mezzanine level. Across a central lawned courtyard is the Omah Library, which Sjarief has filled with architectural books and is open to the public on weekends.
The scale of this building really has been determined by the multitude of its functions. As a home, it is a on a civic scale. As a design studio, it is on a personal scale and as a public library it couldn’t be more intimate. And as all three the building couldn’t be more interesting or unique.
Story by Brendan Guy, follow him on Instagram MrBrendanGuy
Images: Eric Dinardi