Wolff Schoemaker
Encyclopedia
Charles Prosper Wolff Schoemaker (25 July 1882 – 22 May 1949) was a Dutch
architect
who designed several distinguished Art Deco
buildings in Bandung
, Indonesia
, including the Villa Isola and Hotel Preanger. He has been described as "the Frank Lloyd Wright
of Indonesia," and Wright had a considerable influence on Schoemaker's modernist designs. Although he was primarily known as an architect, he was also a painter and sculptor.
, where he would spend most of his life. For his secondary school education, Schoemaker was sent to the KMA
(Royal Military Academy) in the Dutch city of Breda
.
In 1905, he returned to the Dutch East Indies to work for the Royal Dutch East Indies Army as a military engineer
. After leaving the job in 1911, he became the engineer for the Department of Civil Public Works in Batavia (present-day Jakarta
), and became the Director of Public Works in 1914. From 1917 to 1918, he worked for Fa. Schlieper & Co and took a study trip to the United States with the organization, where he came into contact with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright.
C.P. Schoemaker and Associates in Bandung
. His firm blended traditional Indonesian architecture with modern European styles, incorporating traditional elements into the shapes and layouts of the buildings. Wolff Schoemaker deliberately applied a functionalist approach to his buildings. Among his most notable buildings were the Sociëteit Concordia building on Braga Street
(1921), where the Asian–African Conference was held in 1955 (today known as Gedung Merdeka
), the Hotel Preanger (1929), the Pasteur Institute
of Indonesia, the St. Peter Cathedral, and Villa Isola (1932), all located in Bandung.
His own house, built in 1930 in a northern residential neighbourhood of Bandung, epitomized his architectural vision. The building had been under threat of being demolished in 1995, only rescued after the intervention of the Bandung Society for Heritage Conservation. The adaptive reuse
of the building, now converted into a bank, was carried out in 1996 with the help of local architects and students. The conservation of this local heritage has been awarded one of the UNESCO
Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation in 2000.
In 1922, he became the professor of the Technische Hoogeschool Bandoeng
(Technical College of Bandung). While professor, he mentored Sukarno
, who would become the first President of the Republic of Indonesia. With assistance from the young Sukarno, Wolff Schoemaker renovated the Hotel Preanger in 1929. Under Schoemaker's assistance, Sukarno also designed several houses in Bandung. One of Schoemaker's most significant works was the Villa Isola, built from 1932 to 1933 for the Dutch media tycoon Dominique William Berretty. Schoemaker's design was influenced by indigenous Javanese philosophy; the orientation of the building is according to the north-south axis, where the building faces Mount Tangkuban Perahu to the north and the city of Bandung to the south. The building incorporates many circular shapes, such as a spiral staircase
in the main lobby and an arch-shaped window in the family room. Schoemaker traveled to Holland in 1939, where he took a post at the Delft University of Technology
until his retirement in 1941. Schoemaker died in Bandung in 1949 and was buried at the Pandu cemetery.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
who designed several distinguished Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
buildings in Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, including the Villa Isola and Hotel Preanger. He has been described as "the Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
of Indonesia," and Wright had a considerable influence on Schoemaker's modernist designs. Although he was primarily known as an architect, he was also a painter and sculptor.
Early life and formative years
Wolff Schoemaker was born in Banyu Biru, Indonesia on the island of JavaJava
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, where he would spend most of his life. For his secondary school education, Schoemaker was sent to the KMA
Koninklijke Militaire Academie
The Royal Military Academy is the service academy for the Dutch Army and the Dutch Air Force. Located in Breda, the Netherlands, the KMA has trained future officers since 1828.-Description:...
(Royal Military Academy) in the Dutch city of Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
.
In 1905, he returned to the Dutch East Indies to work for the Royal Dutch East Indies Army as a military engineer
Military engineer
In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...
. After leaving the job in 1911, he became the engineer for the Department of Civil Public Works in Batavia (present-day Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
), and became the Director of Public Works in 1914. From 1917 to 1918, he worked for Fa. Schlieper & Co and took a study trip to the United States with the organization, where he came into contact with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Career
In 1918, in partnership with his brother Richard, Schoemaker established the architectural firmArchitectural firm
An architectural firm is a company which employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture.- History :Architects have existed since early in recorded history. The earliest recorded architects include Imhotep and Senemut . No writings exist to describe how these...
C.P. Schoemaker and Associates in Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
. His firm blended traditional Indonesian architecture with modern European styles, incorporating traditional elements into the shapes and layouts of the buildings. Wolff Schoemaker deliberately applied a functionalist approach to his buildings. Among his most notable buildings were the Sociëteit Concordia building on Braga Street
Braga Street
Braga Street is a small street in the center of Bandung, Indonesia, which was famous in the 1920s as a promenade street. Chic cafes, boutiques and restaurants with European ambiance along the street had made the city to attain the Paris of Java nickname...
(1921), where the Asian–African Conference was held in 1955 (today known as Gedung Merdeka
Merdeka Building
Merdeka Building is an art-deco building in Jalan Asia-Afrika, Bandung, Indonesia. Today it serves as a museum displaying collections and photographs of the Asian–African Conference, the first Non-Aligned Movement that was held there in 1955.- Architecture :The present building was designed in...
), the Hotel Preanger (1929), the Pasteur Institute
Pasteur Institute
The Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
of Indonesia, the St. Peter Cathedral, and Villa Isola (1932), all located in Bandung.
His own house, built in 1930 in a northern residential neighbourhood of Bandung, epitomized his architectural vision. The building had been under threat of being demolished in 1995, only rescued after the intervention of the Bandung Society for Heritage Conservation. The adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
of the building, now converted into a bank, was carried out in 1996 with the help of local architects and students. The conservation of this local heritage has been awarded one of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation in 2000.
In 1922, he became the professor of the Technische Hoogeschool Bandoeng
Bandung Institute of Technology
The Bandung Institute of Technology or Institute of Technology, Bandung is a state, coeducational research university located in Bandung, Indonesia. Established in 1920, ITB is the oldest technology-oriented university in Indonesia....
(Technical College of Bandung). While professor, he mentored Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
, who would become the first President of the Republic of Indonesia. With assistance from the young Sukarno, Wolff Schoemaker renovated the Hotel Preanger in 1929. Under Schoemaker's assistance, Sukarno also designed several houses in Bandung. One of Schoemaker's most significant works was the Villa Isola, built from 1932 to 1933 for the Dutch media tycoon Dominique William Berretty. Schoemaker's design was influenced by indigenous Javanese philosophy; the orientation of the building is according to the north-south axis, where the building faces Mount Tangkuban Perahu to the north and the city of Bandung to the south. The building incorporates many circular shapes, such as a spiral staircase
Spiral staircase
Spiral staircase may refer to:* A type of stairway characterized by its spiral shape* The Spiral Staircase , a 1946 American psychological thriller film* The Spiral Staircase , a 1975 British film, a remake of the 1946 film...
in the main lobby and an arch-shaped window in the family room. Schoemaker traveled to Holland in 1939, where he took a post at the Delft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology , also known as TU Delft, is the largest and oldest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands...
until his retirement in 1941. Schoemaker died in Bandung in 1949 and was buried at the Pandu cemetery.
Legacy
Wolff Schoemaker was considered one of the best Indonesian architects of his time. Throughout his career, he explored the relationship between European designs and Indonesian vernacular expression. His work developed a new modern language of forms based on tropical conditions and principles.Further reading
- Jan van Dullemen: Tropical Modernity: Life and Work of C.P. Wolff Schoemaker, ISBN 9789085068792, SUN architecture, 2010
External links
- Bethel Church - Visual Database of Modern Dutch Tropical Architecture in Indonesia
- Villa Isola