[Extract …] In Indonesia, modernization means development and development means Westernization. As trade barriers gradually disappear and intensive globalization transforms lifestyles and cities, architecture is losing its local spirit. Young architects follow the trends in Western and Japanese magazines, while the local architecture press features Indonesian work judged by appearances rather than livability. Stylistic jargon substitutes for engaged discourse as ‘‘tropical modern,’’ ‘‘classical minimalism,’’ and ‘‘traditional modern’’ become buzzwords as meaningless as they are influential, especially among the wealthy. This situation is exacerbated by a tendency among young architects to favor ego rather than context, resulting in new, fashionable buildings for the extremely rich side by side with older traditional buildings for the extremely poor. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Jakarta, which, as the capital of Indonesia, circulates 70 percent of the nation’s wealth and serves as a showcase for trendy architecture that will be copied in other large cities across the nation.

Eko Prawoto pursues another architectural path, one far away from fashions and trends. Most of Prawoto’s work is in Jogjakarta on the Island of Java. As a seat of the Sultanate of Central Java and a Special District of provincial status, Jogjakarta is well-known as a Javanese cultural center. Within Javanese culture, it is considered more important to produce exceptional work slowly than to produce imperfect work quickly. This is reflected throughout Jogjakarta, especially around the urban fringe, where communality encourages the participation of community members in a deliberative building and construction process.