The Papilion: Effortless elegance through transparency

Was published in Jakarta Post on Sunday October 21, 2007

Transparency has been an old obsession for numerous architects throughout the course of modern architecture. Since the beginning of the massive application of glass to construction, people have seemed to be mystified by its transparent quality and incredible strength.

One phenomenon which results from the physical property of a glass surface is how it reacts to light. If you view a glass structure from the outside, it is opaque and highly reflective when it is exposed to daylight.

At night, when it is lit from the inside, it becomes totally transparent. And this phenomenon has been the object of exploration of many architects.

However, such transparency comes with additional unwanted feature. When sunlight hits a glass surface, it only reflects the light ray not the heat ray. The process produces a heat build-up inside which requires a much greater effort to cool the interior of the building.

However, this problem has been resolved by the Papilion building, located on Jl. Kemang Raya, Jakarta. Designed by D-Associates, a Jakarta based architecture design office, it is a low-rise four-story simple, yet sophisticated structure, home to high-end boutiques and restaurants.

The facade utilizes a double layer of glass which creates air space between the glass layers. This acts as a thermal barrier, keeping the heat build-up contained in this relatively narrow space.

The heat generates a pressure difference between the top and bottom of the air space resulting in buoyancy force -- or upward force -- popularly known as the stack effect, where the hot air will rise and escape through the aluminum louver at the top of the glass façade beneath the canopy. (Picture 01)

This strategy significantly helps reduce the energy load required to cool the building's interior, while maintaining its transparent quality.

According to the principal architect, Gregorius Supi Yolodi, transparency was the main design strategy utilized to reduce the bulkiness of the building. The other design tool is the large canopy above the glass fa‡ade which has two functions: to shade the glass and to virtually reduce the overall height of the building.

I admire the Papilion for its effortless elegance. Contradictory to other significant commercial buildings along Jl. Kemang Raya, the Papilion blends with its surroundings through its reflective fa‡ade. The canopy works well in scaling down the building to friendlier size.

The Papilion also engages the public domain by opening up the first floor to pedestrians. Wheelchair access is provided elegantly next to the main entrance -- a rare find in Jakarta.

However, good intentions cannot be entirely welcomed by city officials. Yolodi said that the city rejects his proposal to improve the pedestrian pathway on the side street.

Overall, the Papilion shows that, with a little creative engineering, transparent glass buildings can indeed exist in this city's hot climate.

Our fascination with transparency can be fulfilled with thoughtful design and elegance can be achieved through understanding the environment.

All images are courtesy of D-Associates