Liem Bwan Tjie

Liem Bwan Tjie (6 September 1891 – 1966) was a prominent architect, and a pioneering figure of modern Indonesian architecture. He belonged to the first generation of professionally trained Indonesian architects.

Liem was born in Semarang into a Peranakan Chinese family. His father, Liem Soei Tjhing, was a successful textile merchant, and thus able to give his children a good Dutch education. Between 1920 and 1926, he studied architecture at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. He also gained experience while in Europe, working for a few leading architects of the day, such as Michel de Klerk and Eduard Cuypers. In 1926, he went to the Harvard-Yenching Institute in Peking to prepare for a career as a university lecturer. His life in China, however, was cut short by the chaos engendered by the Sino-Japanese War.

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 parliamentarian Loa Sek Hie. Liem was obliged not to engage in political activities. At first, he was also compelled to stay at Loa's residence in Menteng before eventually being allowed to return home to Semarang.

His work can be divided into two periods: his pre- and post-war work. His pre-war work was influenced by the Amsterdam School, but 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 and organisations of the Peranakan upper class, or Cabang Atas, including Loa Sek Hie, the Oei Tiong Ham Concern, Han Tiauw Tjong and Tan Liok Tiauw Sia. His work was interrupted by the Japanese Occupation, after which he moved yet again to Batavia.

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