Architects determining Jakarta skyline's future form

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.