Retronesia

Book excerpt: Retronesia: The Years of Building Dangerously is the first must-have guide to Indonesia's most creative architectural period. Be inspired by the beauty and verve of 1950s and 60s Indonesia when professional architects were a rarity, but the talent pool was overflowing with adventurers. At a time when retro style revival has never been more popular, Retronesia cuts through cultural amnesia to celebrate virtually unknown treasures of mid-century Modernism across the archipelago. This style atlas - systematically examines the cultural and political forces shaping design during 1950 to mid-1960s Indonesia - providing readers with over 50 curated destinations. Going beyond a travel guide, Retronesia has crafted oral histories into bite sized biographies to provide compelling accounts of public life and ambition. Carefully photographed, surviving examples cover the world of work, rest and play from classic public housing, futurist state institutions, once luxury townhouses and villas to the faded glamour of volcanic hill station retreats. Retronesia is an unmatched resource for anyone wanting to see and do more with their travels in Indonesia.