National Archives building to reopen soon<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian National Archives building on Jl.
\nGajah Mada in the historic Kota district of Jakarta will
\nofficially be reopened on Nov. 1 after undergoing more than three
\nyears of renovation.<\/p>\n
The building and its surroundings will function as a new
\ninformation, knowledge and cultural center in the capital, the
\nGedung Arsip Nasional RI Foundation, which is in charge of
\nmanaging the building, said in a statement made available to The
\nJakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The building's reopening is expected to be attended by guests
\nfrom all over Indonesia and overseas. They will be entertained by
\na cultural performance in the building's back yard, the statement
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In conjunction with the reopening of the building, an
\nexhibition titled The Gedung Arsip Nasional RI through the Ages
\nis to be mounted. The event will also be highlighted by a
\nsymposium on restoration and conservation of old buildings on
\nNov. 2.<\/p>\n
"The symposium will be open to participants who have a keen
\ninterest in conservation. Heritage groups from Medan,
\nUjungpandang, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta and Surabaya will be
\ninvited," the statement said.<\/p>\n
It went on to say that the restoration of the building started
\nin early 1995 when a number of Dutch individuals living in
\nJakarta decided to raise funds to restore historic buildings as a
\nspecial gift from the Dutch people to the Indonesian people to
\ncommemorate the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Together with a group of Indonesians who were interested in
\npreserving old buildings, it was decided to concentrate on the
\nnational archive building, known as the De Klerk Huis, which was
\nbuilt in 1760.<\/p>\n
The scheme was participated in with great enthusiasm by more
\nthan 60 Dutch companies and institutions in Indonesia and many of
\ntheir counterparts in the Netherlands. Together they raised more
\nthan four million guilders (US$2.17 million).<\/p>\n
The restoration project was conducted by appointing Han Awal
\nand Budi Lim as architectural consultants and Ballast Nedam and
\nDecorient as contractors. During the restoration a team of
\narcheologists from the directorate general of culture researched
\nthe archaeological findings.<\/p>\n
The restoration of the building was completed on Sept. 16. The
\nfoundation in charge of managing the building was established on
\nSept. 30, with its founding members being Frans Seda, Soedarpo
\nSastrosatomo, Ferry Sonneville, A.M. Djajanegara and Director
\nGeneral of the National Archives of Indonesia Pia Alisjahbana,
\nthe statement said.<\/p>\n
The Stichting Cadeau Indonesia, which was set up as a fund-
\nraising body for the restoration project, will continue
\nsupporting the project over the next three years.<\/p>\n
The building and its wings have ample room for cultural
\nperformances and exhibitions, while the building itself will
\nexhibit historic furniture and artifacts, the statement said.
\n(hhr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/national-archives-building-to-reopen-soon-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}