Beos station must survive

Beos station must survive

From Warta Kota

The historic railway station in downtown Jakarta, known as
Beos station or Kota Station, will be modernized with the
addition of a shopping mall, in a project jointly managed by
state railway company PT Kereta Api and a private firm.

A lot of historic buildings in Kota have been demolished to
serve the interests of a handful of businesspeople who have no
concern for our heritage. If such businesspeople handle the
project at Beos, the station will surely disappear.

As a Jakarta resident, I agree with the planned modernization
as long as the new building can blend into the old one without
causing damage to the historic structure. The Jakarta
administration should make an inventory of the station to prevent
haphazard demolition.

If PT Kereta Api and the private firm managing the mall
project at Beos are smart enough, the historic location will be
developed into an attractive place to visit, rather than an
unexceptional site that invites public condemnation.

SARIMUN SUMARKIJO
Jakarta