The editorial office for Indonesia Design is located on a main road in South Jakarta in a mixed business/residential area. Last year, the office was relocated to a new floor in the same building and we took the opportunity to completely rethink the design and layout of our new working space. This is where we put together the magazine that you are reading right now.
photos by Bagus Tri Laksono
The year 2017 marked the 14th anniversary of Indonesia Design magazine. It was also the year that we moved into our new, larger office space. It wasn’t a big move in terms of distance – we only moved from the second floor to the third floor – but it was a big change in terms of creating new working environment.
Designed by PT Piter Gan Architects, the new office, like the previous one, has an open plan concept. The open plan, which reflects our open-minded character, allows us to communicate and interact very easily with one another. The office has five zones – working space, window area, communal table, pantry, and two meeting rooms. Anyone can work in any zone because we use a ‘hot seat’ system – whether they’re sitting at the communal table or having a contemplative time-out on the swing.
The communal table is our favourite spot, as it is located at the heart of the office. This zone has a long table, cut from a single piece of wood, where we can work on our laptops, hold internal meetings or simply have meals together. It is topped with a drop ceiling made of laser cut panels by Walline that incorporate traditional Indonesian patterns. Hanging on the ceiling are three colonial antique pendant lamps to brighten up the zone.
“Being right in the middle of the working space means this zone is sandwiched in between two structural columns, but we made them into bookshelves so it looks like we put them there intentionally,” says Jimmy Triyogo, project lead designer, adding that one of the columns is decorated with masks from Batik Kayu Krebet. Meanwhile, facilities such as a mushola (prayer room), lockers, toilet and shower, a kitchen, and a server room are located in the back area behind the pantry.
Our pantry is built by Vela kitchen, and is equipped with an Ariston refrigerator and water dispenser, coffee maker, sink and a Samsung microwave. A large, white breakfast bar was installed in front of the pantry, not only for refreshment, but also as a place where the editorial team can spread out the proof prints when finalising each issue. This area is lightened up with Vivere’s tall Matala counterstools, which were designed by the late Irvan Noe’man and an origami artwork by Sabbatha.
On the other side of the room from the pantry, there is a long window seat that overlooks the surrounding neighbourhood and traffic on the flyover. The built-in seat is doubly functional as it also has storage space underneath. As for the cooling system, Samsung 360 round cassettes are installed in a few spots.
Despite the open plan concept, some of the editorial team still have dedicated working desks because they need to be able to concentrate, especially when running up to deadlines. The graphic designer team also has dedicated desks because their monitors need to be in stable lighting conditions. This area is marked with leather-covered floor from Tile, which contrasts the wooden parquet floor from Goodrich that covers the other areas of the office.
Designer items are spread around the office. For example, near the window, Santai’s lounge chairs designed by Singgih Kartono are ideal for casual meetings, while Santai’s daybed by Eko Prawoto sits in between the two meeting rooms often used for napping during deadlines. Levendig’s Mega Mendung chair sits below an artwork from Yogyakarta-based Parri Gallery. All of the staff use Hag Capisco chairs from Hallning that are ergonomically designed for a healthy sitting position. Looking at some of the smaller objects, we have an alarm clock from Karsa by Joshua Simandjuntak and pots by clay artist Arti Gidwani. Have a coffee with us, and you will be served with pretty ceramic cups by Arya Pandjalu, Kandura and Sari Keramindo.
The main meeting room seats ten, with a contemporary Monalisa painting to spark up the room. It has a marble-top table that is softened with colourful flooring by Expose Concrete, a lasercut ceiling and the same type of chairs as the staff’s. The smaller meeting room has works by local designers – Bayu Edward, Live with Bambi, Rina Renville, Lampu-lampu and Meja-meja, as well as Roxy Glass’ framed mirrors and especially made curved-glass wall.
“We spent our beginning years in typical start-up spaces – small and sparsely furnished. It has taken us some time to finally get an office that properly represents us as a design magazine publishing company,” recalls editor-in-chief Lina Gan. “We’ve always wanted to bring Indonesian elements to our office, so we mixed and matched local designers and artists’ pieces with modern technology. The result doesn’t only create a comfy atmosphere, but also reflects our value as a publication that carries the country’s name in our brand.” She continues, “Like most of my team, I don’t have an assigned desk. We see this office as our second home, so we sit in any corner we feel like, just like at our respective homes.”
For that reason, the new iD office features a subtle Indonesian theme, with the walls painted in white, and the furniture and various details in red – like the colours of our national flag. All in all, the office promotes efficiency, creativity and an agile working culture; and from here, the iD team is set to bring a selection of the best in design, crafts and other related topics to our readers.
“We have plans to expand to the neighbouring land that we just acquired. That new additional space will see more Indonesian products and will continue the agile working environment,” Lina adds.