The 3rd Space

In 2022, Indonesia began constructing Nusantara, its future capital on Kalimantan, to address Jakarta's overcrowding, traffic, and land subsidence. Jakarta will remain the economic hub, with embassies in Nusantara functioning as modest secondary political representations. This studio tasks students with designing a 5,000 sqm embassy for a country of their choice, addressing representation, functionality, and sustainability. Programmatic requirements include public areas, offices, a consular section, and an ambassador’s residence.

The Dutch Embassy in Nusantara: The Third Space critically engages with the historical and contemporary dimensions of Dutch-Indonesian relations. Situated within their shared colonial history, this project addresses the legacies of Dutch colonial rule (1600s–1949), characterised by economic exploitation and cultural imposition, while advancing contemporary diplomatic objectives. The Third Space acknowledges postcolonial complexities and delivers a respectful, forward-looking bilateral relationship. Homi Bhabha’s theory of the Third Space serves as the conceptual foundation of the design, enlisting "hybridity" and cultural synthesis as a means of transcending binary opposition. This theoretical framework informs the architectural approach, creating a space that forms mutual respect and cultural exchange. The alun-alun, a traditional Javanese public square, is reintroduced as the central design element, representing reconciliation with the local heritage and addressing the colonial neglect of indigenous spaces. Motifs of transparency and openness are expressed through open-plan layouts, permeable facades, and generous public spaces, symbolising values of trust, collaboration, and consensus inherent in the Dutch polder model. Through these strategies, the embassy embodies a hybrid cultural space, the Third Space, functioning as a site for dialogue, cultural exchange, and sustainable collaboration. It signals a transformation in Dutch-Indonesian relations from a history of colonial dominance to one of equitable partnership at the new capital city.