Bandung debates its heritage

Bandung debates its heritage

BANDUNG: Members of the conservation group Bandung Heritage
gathered at the city hall here on Tuesday to protest the
demolition of the Lux Vicent building on Jl. Martadinata.

"It's one of many historical buildings along the street which
were used as prisons during the Japanese occupation," group
member Soewarno Darsoprajitno said.

The group also protested the way the city administration's
one-stop service (Yantap) provided building or demolition permits
without considering the historical legacy of the buildings in
question.

Head of Yantap Cece Hidayat said the owner of the Lux Vicent
had demolished the building before his office had issued any kind
of permit.

While acknowledging the need to conserve historical buildings,
Cece criticized the heritage group, saying that it ran a
conservation campaign but failed to take into consideration or
propose means for cash-strapped building owners to maintain their
old and often run-down buildings.

Meanwhile, head of the Building Monitoring Agency, Engkos
Hidajat, said there was no confirmation on whether the Lux Vicent
was actually a historical building or not. (25/09)