Architect says old town project needs support
Architect says old town project needs support
JAKARTA (JP): The old Jakarta revitalization project needs the
private sector and the community's greater involvement and
participation, a Dutch architect said yesterday.
R.W. Heringa, the author of an architectural book Ir.F.J.L.
Ghijsels, Architect in Indonesia (l910-1929), said
he was glad to know the city administration had already started a
program to refurbish its old city sites.
But he lamented the fact that the participation of the private
sector in this huge project was still limited.
Heringa was speaking on his book at the Omni Batavia Hotel, to
be launched Wednesday at the Erasmus Huis Dutch cultural center.
The book launching will be highlighted by architectural
exhibitions in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang in Central Java,
Surabaya in East Java and Denpasar in Bali.
"The city government should first clean up all rivers,
including Opak and Kali Besar rivers, in this old area and turn
them into a center of attraction," suggested Heringa, who is the
grandson of the prominent Dutch architect Ghijsels.
He believed once the rivers were clean, private investors were
willing to run their businesses in the areas.
"The government, for instance, could establish water
transportation facilities for tourist attractions," he said.
He said the private sector could also play a significant role
in the renovation of old buildings along the riverbanks and
surrounding areas.
"Look at this building," Heringa said, pointing at the Samudra
Indonesia office building on Jl. Kali Besar Barat, West Jakarta.
"The authority can ask the building's owner to refurbish this
old beautiful structure. Since a whopping fund is needed to
implement the Old City project, the government cannot do it
alone," Heringa said.
Since early l990s, the administration has been carrying out an
ambitious program to transform its old city, home to hundreds of
neo-classical and art-deco style buildings, into a potential
business and tourism site.
The old city includes a 134-hectare area stretching from West
Jakarta to North Jakarta.
Heringa said his book on Ghijsels might be used as a reference
for those who are involved in the project.
The 127-page book contains an overall survey of important and
extensive works of the architect Ghijsels in Indonesia between
l910 and 1929.
The book was based on personal archives of Ghijsels who died
in l947.
Ghijsels inherited all the archives to Heringa.
"For almost 40 years, these important archives were kept in
our house's attic," Heringa recalled.
The book reveals under his company, Algemeen Ingenieurs-en
Architectenbureau (AIA), Ghijsels designed several important
public and private buildings in Jakarta and other cities in
Indonesia.
Among his significant works were Kota railway station, Samudra
Indonesia office on Kalibesar street, West Jakarta, KPM hospital
(now Pelni Hospital) in Petamburan area, West Jakarta, the now
defunt Hotel des Indes and Societe de Harmonie in downtown area.
He also designed the famous Villa Isola (now the campus of
IKIP Teacher College), Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung and
Panti Rapih hospital in Yogyakarta.
"I hope this book will encourage those interested in
preserving historical buildings to work harder to preserve their
architectural heritages," Heringa said. (raw)