Telum Talks To… Imelda Akmal, Founder / Chief Editor, ARCHINESIA Bookgazine
Interview

Telum Talks To… Imelda Akmal, Founder / Chief Editor, ARCHINESIA Bookgazine

By Muhammad Arby

Since 2012, ARCHINESIA Bookgazine has been actively introducing Indonesian architectural works in Southeast Asia. What is the world of architecture in Indonesia in the view of Imelda Akmal as the Founder / Chief Editor?

The COVID-19 outbreak has affected most sectors and industries, including architecture. Architects around the world are using their knowledge and skills to 'fight' the virus by creating innovative solutions to accommodate the ‘new normal’.

Some architects have tried to redesign facilities and buildings, others urban planning. The media serves a vital role in helping architects voice their thoughts and ideas. ARCHINESIA Bookgazine's Founder / Editor in Chief, Imelda Akmal explains the role architectural media plays in Indonesia and shares her experiences.

Imelda also gives advice to millennials who have difficulty getting onto the property ladder:

Tell us about ARCHINESIA Bookgazine….
ARCHINESIA Bookgazine was founded in 2012. It is a periodical architecture that is published every six months. We started this bookazine to introduce architects and contemporary Indonesian architectural works to Southeast Asian readers, putting Indonesia on the map of regional architecture. ARCHINESIA Bookgazine also wants to encourage architectural discourse and debate in a provocative manner.

How long have you been in the world of architecture?
I have been in the world of architecture and interior media since 1994.

Who are the readers of ARCHINESIA Bookgazine?
65% are professional architects, followed by young architects and students in the Southeast Asian region.

How does ARCHINESIA Bookgazine ensure its survival and continuity in the media industry these days?
By being relevant to the reader. Our target audience is mainly made up of professional architects and observers within the contemporary architecture scene. ARCHINESIA Bookgazine's content is always trying to serve the needs and interests of those readers.

What do you enjoy most about the world of architecture?
All humans live in architectural products. Architecture is a basic need. Architecture provides solutions to human problems from micro(living space) to medium (environment) and macro (city) scales.

How do you see architecture progressing in Indonesia?
Indonesian architecture is advancing rapidly along with the growth of professional architects in Indonesia. Indonesian architects have good creativity, especially in the field of craftmanship.

Talking about architecture, what kind of buildings do you like the most?
Buildings that not only solve the problem of space and place needs, but also that have meaning, provide solutions, and bring good to people, environment and the universe.

A lot of young people today have difficulty buying / building a house, what do you suggest?
They can try co-housing.

What is the impact of COVID-19 on the world of architecture?
It is massive! Actually, if we ‘listen’ COVID-19 brings a message of what the earth and the universe want. Therefore, architects should return to the thought of basic human needs for space and place and strike a balance when doing so.

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