Award for archive building

The National Archive Building (Gedung Arsip Nasional), located on Jl. Gajah Mada in Central Jakarta, has won the UNESCO Award of Excellence for 2001 in the category of, "best restoration of an historical building in the Asia-Pacific region".

The award, which was presented on Sunday evening, was aimed at supporting the efforts of individuals, organizations and governments to restore and preserve national heritage sites.

UNESCO also bestowed the Award of Distinction to Bushell's Tea Warehouse in Sydney and the Krishna Temple in Punjab, India; the Award of Merit for five winners in India, China and Sri Lanka; and Honorable Mention to five others in China, India, the Philippines and Singapore.

For the year 2001, a total of 12 Asia-Pacific countries had sent their entries.

Only buildings older than 50 years old which had been restored in the past 10 years could be nominated.

The restoration project for the 241-year-old Gedung Arsip Nasional lasted for three years and began in November 1998. Its function has been extended as an exhibition hall as well as a reception hall that is open for public.

Since 1925, the building with Renaissance and Baroque-Rococo style, has become the National Archive Building. It was declared a National Cultural Heritage in 1997. --JP