In Search of Modernity: Urban Planner and Architect
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The Newsletter No. 84 Autumn 2019 25 The Review plan in the Indies’, and reminiscent of the young Dutch/European tradition of urban planning (p. 274).1 Semarang’s plan made Karsten the In search of most influential town planner in the colony almost overnight. Van Roosmalen gives a clear account of the steps taken by several municipalities on the road to sociospatial modernity: planning and the roles Karsten played in this respect until the Japanese occupation. A report on Indies town planning, presented at a conference of local administrators in 1920 urban planner became ‘an influential theoretical treatise as well as a practical handbook for planners’ (p. 279; included as an appendix in this book). A second report, of which he was a major and architect author, the ‘Explanatory Memorandum on the Town Planning Ordinance for Municipalities on Java’ that appeared in 1938, became the legal and methodological foundation for town Hans Schenk planning in Indonesia since 1948 until its Reviewed title: replacement in 1992, and has probably been The Life and Work the most influential document underlying Indonesia’s urban planning for a long time.2 of Thomas Karsten Van Roosmalen concludes that Karsten played a fundamental role in the field of Joost Coté and Hugh O’Neill. 2017. urban planning, and adds lyrically that the Amsterdam: Architectura & Natura ‘tangible evidence of the surviving picturesque ISBN 9789461400598 lanes and boulevards in cities like Semarang and Malang, will continue to inspire his counterparts in today’s Indonesia’ (p. 303). Finally, an unavoidable remark is that its content does not show clear signs of much editing. An introduction and outline would have improved the accessibility to and coherence in the ten studies in their mutual relation, while he Dutch architect and urban planner to reform a harsh, exploitative, and selfish 111-115). The key is, following Coté’s analysis, various duplicates exist in several essays, Thomas Karsten lived and worked in the world’ (p. 324). This ideal was, according to ‘the modern age of rapid travel, extensive e.g. on Javanese architecture. In spite of this TDutch East Indies from 1914 until his death Coté and O’Neill, not translated into a radical technological change and cultural evolution’ observation and of some critical remarks in a Japanese detention camp near Bandung political position though and he certainly did (p. 113). The cultural evolution refers to less elsewhere in this review, it is a thorough and in 1945. Trained at the Polytechnic School of not have a politically independent Indonesia tangible and certainly remarkable aspects. profound set of essays, written by four of Delft he started his career as an architect in in view. Karsten rather foresaw, in the words America’s race relations and his assessments his admirers and brought together in a book the mid-Javanese town of Semarang. Soon, of Coté in the introduction to this book, of a strong social cohesion and collectivism as that also includes some useful additional however, his interest extended to the young that ‘Westerners like himself could provide a result of assembly-line capitalism, as I would background information such as Karsten’s field of town planning. In this capacity he Indonesians with the necessary leadership put it, are mentioned but unfortunately not bibliography and a few of his publications advised many governments of the rapidly to point the way to the future’ (p. 16). Karsten commented upon by Coté. (translated). Moreover, it is a book on a expanding towns and cities in the colony, and focused on the improvements of the daily lives certainly remarkable man at work in the Dutch moreover he became a thriving force behind of the inhabitants of the expanding cities East Indies. Apart from the considerations of the institutionalisation of the management of in terms of improved standards of housing Urban planning what ‘made Karsten tick’, important decades of urban planning. His writings – in periodicals, and other buildings, and ‘good form’ – Nine of the ten essays in this book deal architectural and planning history of the Dutch reports, and diaries – together with several carefully designed houses, offices, markets, with Thomas Karsten as an architect. Only one colony and independent Indonesia have been Indonesian and Dutch secondary sources form neighbourhoods, and cities. Coté notes, focuses on his contributions to town planning documented, brought together, and presented the basis of this book on Karsten, ‘the first however, in his essay Defining a Cultural in the Dutch East Indies and thereafter in to, hopefully, many readers in this book. extensive, holistic study of the man and his Blueprint, that Karsten ‘must have recognised Indonesia. Van Roosmalen gives an account of multifaceted life and work’ as Joost Coté and quite soon that something more than the history of town planning, or rather, modern Hans Schenk Hugh O’Neill conclude (p. 325). Indeed, the ten modern buildings was required if a modern town planning, after the legal formation of University of Amsterdam, essays in the sizeable book cover a wide range harmonious society was to emerge’ (p. 88). urban local governments in the colony in 1903 The Netherlands of aspects of Karsten’s life and are presented The authors occasionally deal with, though and the subsequent attempts to control the to the reader in a definitely positive setting. invariably briefly, the sources of inspiration rapid urban growth and steer it into the best Pauline van Roosmalen writes on his role in in this blend of form and societal structure in spatial channels. A major and early impetus defining and establishing town planning in the Karsten’s thoughts. Both Coté and O’Neill stress for urban reform was given by the Semarang- Notes Dutch colony and Helen Ibbitson Jessup on his the importance of his Wanderjahre in Germany based pharmacist Henry Freek Tillema who detailed involvement in Javanese architecture. after his graduation in 1909 until he went to forcefully brought the need for measures to 1 However, one has to add that these urban The remaining eight essays are written by Semarang. His contacts with the Deutscher improve public health forward with ample plans did not contain the important Coté (Chapter 4), O’Neill (Chapter 3) and one Werkbund – a group of artists, architects, and supporting documentations and who, to some component of social housing, as in Europe. by the two authors together. They cover his craftsmen who aimed to qualitatively improve extent, paved the way for Karsten, who was 2 This report has unfortunately not been included in this book. However, it has architectural activities and ideas, preceded by production by initiating collaborations between asked by the municipality to draw a sizeable been published in an English translation, chapters on his education and brief overviews the arts, industry, and crafts – form a key to extension plan. The result (finalized in 1919), in: W. F. Wertheim et al. (eds) 1958. of different parts of his life. understanding Karsten’s work for the authors. according to Van Roosmalen, was a ‘functional, The Indonesian Town, Studies in Urban Hence, a lengthy article of the young Karsten harmonized and organic’ plan, ‘more extensive Sociology. The Hague and Bandung: on the Deutscher Werkbund has been included and comprehensive than any previous town W. van Hoeve Ltd, pp.1-76. (American) modernity as an annex in this book. As an architect, Karsten created a number Quality as Karsten’s hallmark can be seen of offices and similar buildings, in a functional as a denominator of the essays by the four style and ‘above all, rational’ in O’Neill words in authors, though it is worded, and perhaps his chapter The Architect at Work (p. 147) and disguised, under the banner of modernity. he was not shy in applying new technologies This term and its derivates pervade the bio- such as reinforced concrete. However, he took graphy, and are used by the authors in every care to bring forms and spatial principles of conceivable context to situate Karsten’s actions the essence of Javanese architecture and and thoughts. As such should modernity lead European traditions together under the banner to enlightenment, characterise the mindset of universal laws of ‘good form’ as a bulwark of the new Indonesian urban middle classes, against ‘the “brutish” colonial world’ (p. 82). shape their new houses with their conveniences O’Neill describes in much detail a sizeable in an improved urban Kampong, and in number of his buildings, accompanied by newly planned neighbourhoods, and form many page-size old and new photographs and the future harmonious mix of Indonesians drawings, while Jessup has focused in detail and Dutch. Modernity as an analytical tool on Karsten’s search for a blend of Western and is a concept that is difficult to digest, but the Javanese architecture primarily based on his authors could have done more to clarify their work of alterations to the palace of a prince of assessments and observations of the broad the pseudo-independent state of Surakarta on spectre of Karsten’s mindset. However, they do Java, again with an abundance of illustrations. offer a possible key and justification for their Digging a bit deeper, the authors came abundant choice for the term ‘modern’ – across Karsten’s uneasy position in the last Van Roosmalen notes in the context of Karsten’s and turbulent decades of the Dutch colonial 1919 expansion plan for Semarang that society. His ideal was, as Coté and O’Neill ‘America was seen as exemplifying modernity put it in their conclusive essay, ‘to secure par excellence’ (p. 278), and Coté devotes a a better world’ where ‘wise leadership, paragraph on Karsten’s admiration for what a supportive technology’ would govern over he calls ‘American modernity’ under influence Djohar Passage.