Hotel Indonesia's history filled with art

By Ida Indawati Khouw

In the early years of Hotel Indonesia, one of Jakarta's most important landmarks, the hotel dealt very much with art. The hotel will celebrate its 38th anniversary on Aug. 5. This 49th article on old and protected buildings in Jakarta highlights the hotel's commitment to promoting the arts.

JAKARTA (JP): Hotel Indonesia (HI) in Central Jakarta may have lost its position as the best international class hotel in the country since many new ultramodern hotels have been built in Jakarta, Bali and other provincial capitals.

But one thing Indonesians won't forget about the hotel is its commitment to the promotion of the arts. Works of arts can be seen throughout the old hotel, giving testimony to its years of support.

The moment one enters the hotel reception, ones eyes are greeted by statues, paintings, mosaics and reliefs created by Indonesian artists from the early years of the country's independence.

The arty atmosphere is attributed to former president Sukarno, who was an avid art lover. He supervised every stage of the hotel's construction from 1959 to 1962.

Particularly unique are bronze statues scattered around the hotel's gardens and pool -- all of them featuring nude women in various postures.

"I think the inspiration came from Sukarno who, as everybody knows, had a legendary eye for women," said sculptor Arsono, who was involved in designing the hotel's mosaics in 1961.

The hotel improved the economic life of artists, who at that time had no fixed source of income.

"By just becoming the assistant of (sculptor) Gregorius Sidharta who was in charge of making of the hotel's mosaics, I could buy a bicycle and bought my mother new clothing," Arsono recalled.

Sweet recollections of the hotel's contribution to the arts also come from performing artists.

"HI even had an art and culture department in which (film director) Teguh Karya was a staff member," said Henky Solaiman, film star who once belonged to Teguh's Teater Populer.

Once a month the theater performed on the Bali Room stage, playing several world class plays like Caligula and Anton Chekov's Swan Song.

"It was during that time that talented artists emerged, like Tuti Indra Malaon, Slamet Rahardjo, N. Riantiarno and others," Henky said.

The theater was transformed into a film industry after the art and cultural department was dissolved.

Since the hotel's establishment, other high rise buildings have been erected along Jl. Thamrin and surrounding areas that have "sunk" the glory of the hotel.

Swamps

Located in the heart of the capital, fronting the Selamat Datang (Welcome) statue, funding for the hotel came from the US$223.08 million war reparation from Japan, which occupied the country between 1942 and 1945.

The area where Hotel Indonesia was built used to be swampy, inhabited by wild animals and covered by plants and trees.

The construction of the multi-storied hotel, which accommodated contingents of the Fourth Asian Games here in 1962, attracted American senator Robert Kennedy to directly witness the building construction.

Said to be Indonesia's pride, the hotel was constructed by Indonesian construction company, PT Pembangunan Perumahan, although foreign architects and consultants were also involved.

The architects were American couple Abel and Wendy Sorensen and the consultants were from Japan.

"At that time, we really learned from the foreign experts on how to build," said Arsono.

Originally, the hotel had a T shape so that guests could enjoy the city's panorama from every room.

Modern equipment was furnished, including 156 spotlights with dimmer devices in the annex Bali Room convention hall, whose walls could be moved automatically.

The hotel featured international standard lounges, convention rooms, coffee shop, restaurants and an Olympic-size swimming pool.

The hotel had a worldwide market and was advertised in newspapers in the United States, such as the New York Herald Tribune and the New York Times, with the motto "Hotel Indonesia, dramatic symbol of free nations working together."

The hotel was officially inaugurated by Sukarno on Aug. 5, 1962. The first guest was a representative of the Rockefeller Foundation named Allen Altwelt, who came to the hotel by becak (three-wheeled pedicab).

New rooms and facilities were continuously added as the hotel also became the place where the government's important meetings were held.