Villa Isola: constructed in six months, lived in for two months, built to last.
My friend Sigit who shares a common interest in vintage department has been talking about a magnificent building in Bandung called Villa Isola over and over, and promised me to send the photos. To be honest, I never heard of it, so my attitude is: I only believe it when I see it. But when I saw the photos that he sent, I was amazed that such a grand building ever exists in Indonesia, and I insist I must share them with you here. No wonder Sigit talked about it all the time. Looking more closely on the photos and after some little googlings, I know that the building –it was originally built as a mansion– now serves as headmastership office of the University of Education Indonesia (IKIP Bandung), and I am glad to say that I have been there, moons ago. Villa Isola was built in 1933 by the famous Indonesian born Dutch architect Wollf Schoemaker for the Dutch media tycoon Dominique William Berretty who almost went bankrupt because of it . Villa Isola was built in six months but the owner lived there only a few months before he died in the plane crash in Syria. What a tragic story. Let’s not focus on that. Instead let’s cherish the building through the photos below. Enjoy!
