A visit to the Design Museum

From London Bridge Station I passed the business district south of the Thames, then warehouses converted to shops, but still with the feel of 'warehouse': mysterious fragrance, commodities in bales.  In the distance I could see the sign for the Design Museum.

The Jakarta Maritime Museum (Museum Bahari) is housed in warehouses where the Ciliwung enters Sunda Kelapa Harbour.  Dating from 1652, these buildings stored pepper, tea, coffee and cloth for the Dutch East India Company.  Today they display watercraft - traditional and modern, European and local - that navigated Indonesia.   The diversity in designs for ships and boats is surprising.  But, no doubt, each vessel was adapted for its circumstances.

The day I visited Museum Bahari, in the broad alley between the warehouses, a wedding party greeted guests.  The warehouses were dim, massive stone and timber constructions.  The wedding party was a shimmer of colour, light glanced from tapestry and lace, traditional garments and modern high heels.

In the Design Museum in London there was an exhibition of fashion drawings.  For the ships and boats of Indonesia, the design question was fitness for purpose.  For garments in London the issue was perception: sophistication.  These are two distinct reasons for design.

Outside the afternoon was chilly.  I made a drawing near Tower Bridge, and went home.