Dutch buildings designed modestly, experts say<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Dutch colonial government didn't construct
\ntremendous buildings during their decades of rule in ancient
\nJakarta, and this is chiefly because they were concerned with
\nmaking money, experts said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Joop Ave, founder of the Lestari foundation for cultural
\nheritage conservation and revitalization, and Budi Sukada, second
\nchairman of the Association of Indonesian Architect (IAI), told a
\nseminar that most of the existing Dutch buildings in Jakarta were
\nfor the most part constructed and designed modestly.<\/p>\n
According to Joop, a former minister of tourism, post and
\ntelecommunications, the Dutch government had no intention of
\ndeveloping their colonies. They took the money they made from
\ntheir colonial exploits and threw it into the Dutch nation's
\ncoffers instead.<\/p>\n
\"Many great buildings were constructed in the Netherlands in
\nthe 17th century -- dubbed by them as the Golden Age -- with
\ncapital originating from here. That's why they didn't have any
\ninterest in building something great in Jakarta,\" he told
\nparticipants in the seminar on conservation models in Indonesia,
\nheld by private-owned Tarumanagara University and Lestari
\nFoundation at VOC Galangan Cafe in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The presidential palace and Gedung Pancasila buildings in
\nCentral Jakarta, for example, were initially residential places
\nduring the Dutch colonial period, he said.<\/p>\n
The Dutch, however, adapted a different policy in its other
\ncolonies -- such as those in India and the Philippines -- in
\nwhich they constructed a number of elaborate buildings.<\/p>\n
\"That's why we can see several superb buildings with advanced
\nSpanish architecture in the Philippines. Similar edifices can
\nalso be found in India,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Sharing Joop's idea, Budi said that the 19th century
\nParliament House in New Delhi, for example, was 10 times bigger
\nthan the presidential palace complex in Bogor, West Java.<\/p>\n
\"The British colonial government even brought qualified
\narchitects from England when the parliament house was built. Such
\nefforts were never adopted by the Dutch colonial government
\nduring their rule in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Most of the buildings here were constructed simply to please
\nthe modest tastes of the owners, most of whom were traders,\" Budi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
That's why, he added, Jakarta doesn't have a single Dutch
\nbuilding with anything approaching real splendor.<\/p>\n
The seminar also presented Malaysian architect Lawrence Loh,
\nwho had taken part in a number of restorations of old buildings
\nin Penang, Malaysia.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that there's life in old buildings and that we
\nshould keep their originality,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Lawrence said that the Malaysian government, which issued
\nguidelines and laws for building conservation, had been paying
\ngreat attention to the preservation of the state's heritage.<\/p>\n
\"It is an ongoing effort, 10 to 15 years. The NGOs started by
\ncreating an awareness program and also by continuously lobbying
\nthe government,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said at present there were six conservation zones in Penang
\nwith a total of 9,000 old buildings.<\/p>\n
\"It is about 10 percent of the total number of buildings in
\nthe area,\" he said after the seminar.(ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dutch-buildings-designed-modestly-experts-say-1447893297",
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