Liem Bwan Tjie (6 September 1891 – 28 July 1966) was a prominent architect, and a pioneering figure of modern Indonesian architecture. He belonged to the first generation of professionally trained Indonesian architects.[1][2]
In 1929, Liem returned home to the Dutch East Indies. The colonial authorities were initially reluctant to allow him to settle back in his homeland due to Liem's perceived leftist sympathies. His return was eventually facilitated by character references given by a number of community leaders, including the parliamentarianLoa Sek Hie.[4] Liem was obliged not to engage in political activities.[5] At first, he was also compelled to stay at Loa's residence in Menteng before eventually being allowed to return home to Semarang.[6]
His work can be divided into two periods: his pre- and post-Second World War work.[7] His pre-war work was influenced by the Amsterdam School, but he was always respectful of the tropical environment. His interiors betrayed the influence of the Arts and Crafts Movement, as well as the vocabulary of Chinese decorative traditions. A lot of his buildings before the Second World War were commissioned by prominent members of the 'Cabang Atas', or the established Chinese elite of colonial Indonesia. These included the politician Loa Sek Hie; the businessman Oei Tjong Hauw, son of Asia's wealthiest tycoon Majoor Oei Tiong Ham; their family company, the powerful multinational corporation Kian Gwan; the politician Han Tiauw Tjong and the landlord Tan Liok Tiauw. His work was interrupted by the Japanese Occupation, after which he moved yet again to Batavia.
His post-war work included many state commissions for the newly independent Republic of Indonesia. Many of these new commissions were of national scale and importance, and reflect a minimalist kind of functionalism and sensibility.[8] In 1959, Liem, together with Friedrich Silaban and other pioneering architects founded the Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia, or the Indonesian Institute of Architects.[9]
In 1965, he left Indonesia for the Netherlands with his family in order to ensure a good education for his daughters.[10] During his trip there, Liem fell ill and died in Rijswijk in on July 28, 1966.
^Suryadinata, Leo (2012). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN978-9814345217.
^Suryadinata, Leo (2012). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 573–574. ISBN978-9814345217.
^Suryadinata, Leo (2012). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 573–574. ISBN978-9814345217.
^Suryadinata, Leo (2012). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 573–574. ISBN978-9814345217.