Puri Agung Building in Cengkareng Left Abandoned After Four Years of Closure
Jakarta – Four years after ceasing operations in October 2021, the Puri Agung building in Cengkareng Timur, West Jakarta, now stands in desolate silence. The commercial structure that once served as a centre for trading and service activities has transformed into a row of dingy walls, rusted zinc fencing, and wild grass covering its forecourt.
Based on observations by Kompas.com at the site on Thursday (26 February 2026), the building’s physical condition appears dire and contrasts sharply with its former role as one of the key economic hubs along the Outer Ring Road West.
No longer do vehicles enter and exit the car park. The voices of traders hawking goods are absent. All that remains is a building approximately 160 metres long, aged beyond its years. The once-bright paint on the walls now peels and fades. Wall surfaces are covered in graffiti scrawls and vandalism marks. In several places, the building’s original colour is scarcely recognisable beneath dust and damp stains.
Windows on the upper floors appear clouded by thick dust accumulation. Some glass panels have already shattered, leaving dark gaps that reinforce the impression of abandonment.
The shop units that once bustled with trading activity now remain firmly shut. The iron security doors of each unit are corroded, with paint peeling away as though untouched by maintenance for a long time.
The entire front area of the building is enclosed by high iron fencing covered with aged zinc sheeting. The zinc has also rusted and turned brownish.
The closure has remained in place since the building’s operations ceased in October 2021. Since then, there has been no public access to the forecourt. Behind the fence, the front yard and gaps between buildings are overgrown with tall grass and dense weeds.
Wild plants creep up the stone steps leading to the main entrance. Moss grows in the cracks between steps. Palm trees in the vicinity are no longer trimmed, their dry leaves hanging about haphazardly.
As evening approaches, the area becomes increasingly gloomy owing to the absence of operational lighting. Local residents describe the area as pitch dark at night.
Paradoxically, Puri Agung stands directly beside the Outer Ring Road West, one of the moderately busy stretches in West Jakarta. Vehicle traffic continues to flow heavily every day. Yet directly in front of the building, the atmosphere feels eerily quiet.
The pedestrian area in front of the fence is only occasionally traversed by residents or school children. Some are seen sitting at bus stops or on the steps in front of the fence seeking shelter.
No longer is there any economic activity as in the past. No street vendors open stalls. Yet, according to residents, the area once served as a meeting point for various activities, ranging from trading to hosting certain events.
Heri, 59, a resident of Cengkareng Timur since the early 1990s, still recalls the building’s heyday.
“It was very busy here back then. People would shop, there were events too sometimes. Car parks were full, small traders also benefited from the business,” said Heri when met near Jalan Bangun Nusa, not far from Pasar Raya Cengkareng market on Thursday (26 February 2026).