Old building asked to be restored

Old building asked to be restored

JAKARTA: The City Council has demanded that the original ornaments of a heritage building in Menteng be located and reinstalled during the building's renovation.

The building, which was purchased by the city administration for Rp 28 billion (approximately US$3.37 million), is a former immigration office. It is located at Jl. Teuku Umar No. 1 in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

The spokesman for the council's Commission E for people's welfare, Nazamuddin, said on Sunday the council only approved the purchase on the condition that the original ornaments be found and reinstalled.

He also demanded that the city administration elaborate on the whereabouts of the ornaments, considering that renovation work on the building was about to begin.

The administration has claimed that the ornaments are in the possession of a collector, who has promised to turn them over once renovation of the building gets under way, according to Nazamuddin, who does not know the name of the collector.

The building, the first structure in Indonesia to use reinforced concrete, was opened in 1914, when it was called the Nederland-Indische Kunstring de Batavia (Batavia's circle of arts). It will be renovated at the cost of Rp 6.75 billion, which will come from the 2003 city budget. --Antara