Architects determining Jakarta skyline's future form

Thor Kerr, Contributor, Jakarta

Architects lose sleep over expected demand for functionality and fashion, as well as trends in traffic, flooding and civil strife while planning the future form of Jakarta.

But this form is taking shape as construction work begins on at least a dozen major projects around the city and many more approach construction.

The designs of many of the capital's future buildings will be on display from July 31 to Aug. 1 in Indonesia's Construction & Interior Forum, the country's first major symposium on architecture in two decades.

The forum will feature top speakers on design from Indonesia and overseas. It will include working groups hosted by the Indonesian Association of Architects, the Indonesian Society of Interior Designers and the Indonesian Society of Civil and Structural Engineers.

Held at the Puri Agung ballroom at Sahid Jaya Hotel in Central Jakarta, it includes a gallery, where 75 design groups will display digital and physical models, sketches, drawings and photographs of their present and future works. Architects will be in attendance for discussions on these works.

Chairman of the Indonesian Association of Architects Budi Sukada said the forum would be more comprehensive in examining the ramifications of construction, in contrast to the unchecked building frenzy in the early and mid-1990s.

"Until now, past seminars have not been holistic. That is, they only concentrated on problems from a business perspective," he said.

The buildings of the future are already taking shape.

High-rise buildings under construction and on the drawing board will determine the role of Kuningan in South Jakarta as the place to stay in Jakarta. Skyscrapers are being built on or planned for sites which would barely contain a two-story mansion in Pondok Indah.

Planners believe executives will avoid Jakarta's traffic by staying in Kuningan and working in Jl. Rasuna Said or Jl. Jend. Sudirman. They are expected to visit Central Jakarta in the evenings or weekends in search of retail goods and entertainment.

The Manhattan Hotel and Spa on Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio typifies the future Kuningan building. Its architect says the tower will have a modern, minimalist form to exaggerate its own height and be topped with a crown of giant glass cubes. As with everything in Jakarta, it's important to be seen in the right places.

Architect Budiman Hendropurnomo of Duta Cermat Mandiri said: "Since the project's location is at the end of a road... there is a consensus to emphasize this corner and make it a landmark... seen from the west (Jl. Sudirman) and the east (Jl. Rasuna Said), and for people who come from the city tunnel on Jalan Dr. Satrio".

Nusa Raya Cipta has started building the 200-room hotel and should complete it by mid-2004.

Construction of an even bigger hotel complex has just started a few blocks away. Sumicon Utama is building the five-star Ritz Carlton Hotel and Airlangga Apartment, designed by Airmas Asri, to tower 43 stories over Kuningan.

Anyone suffering vertigo in the new cityscape may want to think twice before visiting a 20-story hospital in Mega Kuningan, to be built near the future 36-story Bellagio Apartment complex.

When cured, they can return to the shops and leisure venues of Central Jakarta. A four-story entertainment center, with 29,000 square meters of pleasure offerings, is already under construction on Jl. Thamrin. Duta Cermat Mandiri designed the complex to bring more fun to Plaza Indonesia.

The old Chinese Embassy site on Jl. Hayam Wuruk is to give way to a 15-story tower, packed full of entertainment facilities from levels six to 15. Levels one to five will contain shops and an adjacent 15-story tower will contain nothing but car parks.

The Jakarta Kota railway station site will make way for motorists with the addition of a five-story car park. The site will also contain a four-story shopping center, designed by Arsevo.

Meanwhile, plans are being documented for Metro Tanah Abang on Jl. Wahid Hasyim in Central Jakarta. This future five-story shopping center with a three-level basement will contain a floor area of 24,000 square meters.

In Kemayoran, construction has started at a 5.8-hectare site to contain a nine-story mall and 100 low-rise shophouses. A 25- story apartment tower and a four-story shophouse complex are planned for another large site at Kemayoran. Construction has also begun at Blossom Residence in Kemayoran; yes, "Blossom Residence."

This 1.5-hectare estate will bloom into 52 substantial, three- story houses under developer PT Blossom Utama.

When flowers, shops and entertainment venues overwhelm, some folk will be able to retreat to a six-story Buddhist monastery at Kemayoran. This audacious vihara is being designed by Megatika International.

Further north, construction is underway at Mangga Dua Square on Jl. Gunung Sahari Raya. This 10-hectare commercial center will include medium-rise buildings containing shops, car parks, offices and a hotel. Other large shop-house clusters are being designed for sites in Jl. Bandengan and Jl. Ancol Timur.

In South Jakarta, the Senayan sports complex remains under siege by retailers. On Jl. Patal Senayan I, foundation works are underway for 200 shop-office units. Near Senayan Golf Ranch, work is about to start at the four-hectare site of Senayan City. This site will hold three 24-story towers containing a massive shopping mall, car parks, an entertainment center, offices, apartments and a four-star hotel.

The complex was designed by Airmas Asri, which is also documenting plans for a 24-story office tower and a 27-story apartment tower on Jl. Sudirman.

For another site on Jl. Sudirman, Arkonin and Sekawan Design Inc. Arsitek have designed a 30-story apartment tower, a nine- story office block and an eight-story office block. Meanwhile, Atelier 6 Arsitek is designing a 30-story apartment tower for Sudirman CBD and Megatika International is designing two 27-story apartment towers for Jl. Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta.

East Jakarta will not attract much high living. The highest a resident could get seems to be about seven storys at a building like the future Mutiara Mas Apartment complex in Pulo Gebang.

In Kelapa Gading, the shopping malls will be as high as seven storys. The area will also enjoy new low-rise office complexes, an eight-story hospital, car show rooms and low-rise residential complexes and shop-house clusters.

In western parts of the city there will be new government offices, shopping malls, housing estates and medium-rise apartment buildings. A typical project, which began construction last month, is the eight-story Semanan Apartment complex, designed by Bias Tekno Art Kreasindo.

Dozens of new housing estates and low-rise shopping centers are also being designed for Tangerang and Serpong, Bekasi, Cibubur, Depok, Bekasi and other outlying areas.

The writer is director of the BCI Asia construction information group, which copublishes Architecture Asia magazine.