National Archives building to reopen soon
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian National Archives building on Jl. Gajah Mada in the historic Kota district of Jakarta will officially be reopened on Nov. 1 after undergoing more than three years of renovation.
The building and its surroundings will function as a new information, knowledge and cultural center in the capital, the Gedung Arsip Nasional RI Foundation, which is in charge of managing the building, said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
The building's reopening is expected to be attended by guests from all over Indonesia and overseas. They will be entertained by a cultural performance in the building's back yard, the statement said.
In conjunction with the reopening of the building, an exhibition titled The Gedung Arsip Nasional RI through the Ages is to be mounted. The event will also be highlighted by a symposium on restoration and conservation of old buildings on Nov. 2.
"The symposium will be open to participants who have a keen interest in conservation. Heritage groups from Medan, Ujungpandang, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta and Surabaya will be invited," the statement said.
It went on to say that the restoration of the building started in early 1995 when a number of Dutch individuals living in Jakarta decided to raise funds to restore historic buildings as a special gift from the Dutch people to the Indonesian people to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia.
Together with a group of Indonesians who were interested in preserving old buildings, it was decided to concentrate on the national archive building, known as the De Klerk Huis, which was built in 1760.
The scheme was participated in with great enthusiasm by more than 60 Dutch companies and institutions in Indonesia and many of their counterparts in the Netherlands. Together they raised more than four million guilders (US$2.17 million).
The restoration project was conducted by appointing Han Awal and Budi Lim as architectural consultants and Ballast Nedam and Decorient as contractors. During the restoration a team of archeologists from the directorate general of culture researched the archaeological findings.
The restoration of the building was completed on Sept. 16. The foundation in charge of managing the building was established on Sept. 30, with its founding members being Frans Seda, Soedarpo Sastrosatomo, Ferry Sonneville, A.M. Djajanegara and Director General of the National Archives of Indonesia Pia Alisjahbana, the statement said.
The Stichting Cadeau Indonesia, which was set up as a fund- raising body for the restoration project, will continue supporting the project over the next three years.
The building and its wings have ample room for cultural performances and exhibitions, while the building itself will exhibit historic furniture and artifacts, the statement said. (hhr)