Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya, also known as Father Mangunwijaya, was a Catholic priest with pure passion in architecture. The world recognized him as a visionary and distinguished architect. He was a creator with specific characteristics. Mangunwijaya emphasized functional dimension in most of his creations. He wanted his work to be able to facilitate the humans that lived in it. Furthermore, he added value, meaning, and philosophy in every house he built.

He made use of available resources as the materials to make buildings. The prominent example of his work can be seen from the Kuwera House that is located in Kuwera Alley, Gejayan, Yogyakarta. The house used timber as the main material. All area of the house is dominated with a breath-taking pattern of woods. The Kuwera House is associated as a humble and flexible living place, which can also be switched into a flexible working space.

Another stunning work of Mangunwijaya is the famous “Kampong Code” of Yogyakarta. He succeeded to transform the slum area into a proper habitable place. He did not demolish the houses to make it work. Instead, he fixed up the houses by adjusting with the steep countour of the riverbank. With his excellent vision in Kampong Code, he was awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in Uzbekistan in September 1992.

He contributed to the establishment of several religious places such as Maria Assumpta Church, Salam Homestead, and the Pilgrim Place of Gua Maria Sendangsono. Mangunwijaya showed his principles in architecture in building these places. He put forward his originality, aestethic, and ethics. These buildings remain exist until now. They are present in the middle of the society, so people can unite together by the existance of these buildings. The creations of Mangunwijaya are uniqe. They aim to connect humans with God, along with the nature.

With his outstanding works and dedication, Y. B. Mangunwijaya has written his name among the world’s notable architect. His creations are everlasting, along with his spirit to raise human’s dignity.

Visit us at Dinamika Edukasi Dasar to get to know better about Father Mangunwijaya. Please contact us via email at [email protected].
Our location: Gang Kuwera 14, Gejayan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Credits:
Rm. Basilius Edy Wiyanto, Pr.
KOMSOS KAS
Wisma DED Kuwera
Warga Kampung Code Yogyakarta
Paroki St. Theresia Salam
Paroki St. Maria Assumpta Klaten
Peziarahan Gua Maria Sendangsono
Rian Antony
Jati Nugroho
and every parties involved in the making of this film

Copyright: Yayasan Dinamika Edukasi Dasar 2017

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