Renovation of HI traffic circle to finish this year

Renovation of HI traffic circle to finish this year

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso plans to complete renovations
to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on the busy Jl. M.H.
Thamrin in Central Jakarta this year amid serious concerns
expressed by various parties, including the sculptor who built
the statue at the spot 28 years ago.

Sutiyoso said the renovation, estimated to cost about Rp 7
billion (US$736,842), would involve private companies in
cooperation with the City Parks Agency.

"We call on the community and private companies to take part
in our plan," Sutiyoso said after Friday prayers at the City
Hall.

According to the head of the City Parks Agency, Dadang
Ruskandar, the project would include renovating the "outdated"
landscaping and sprucing up the fountain. However, the Welcome
statue would not be changed as it is considered a city landmark.

Contacted separately at his hometown in Yogyakarta, sculptor
of the statue, Edhi Sunarso, said the value of the monument would
always comply with the changing times in the capital.

"However, there is no need to change the landscaping, and the
height on the new design for the fountain should not obstruct the
view from all directions around the traffic circle," said Edhi.

He also suggested the city administration build a fence and
improve the sidewalk around the traffic circle in anticipation of
demonstrations, which are often held in the area.

He added that the new design of the supporting pillar of the
statue should not burden the foundation of the pool.

An architect and urban expert, Marco Kusumawijaya, said the
renovation should also include reorganizing the surrounding
structures of the traffic circle, which must maintain the harmony
of the area.

He specifically referred to the esthetic aspect of the
existing huge advertisement billboards in the area, which
obstruct the scale of composition of the statue.

Currently, there are at least three huge advertisement
billboards, a big TV screen and another four screens displaying
portraits of presidential guests around the traffic circle.

Marco said the traffic area must be free of any commercial
campaign, including the placement of the company name which had
carried out the renovation project.

"The traffic circle, which is a public area, is considered a
city landmark. The city administration must figure out other ways
to compensate its partnership with the private company," said
Marco.

According to Dadang, selected companies will be allowed to
place their names on public advertisement boards in a specified
area, in return for constructing the traffic circle. The scheme
will be based on contracts of between two and five years.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Commission D for Development Affairs
Sayogo Hendrosubroto questioned the budget allocated for the
renovation, even though the financing of the project would be
shared with private companies.

Sayogo said the project, estimated to cost Rp 7 billion was
considered too high. The budget could be used for other more
urgent purposes, he said.

A few years after Indonesia declared its independence, the
government under then president Sukarno commissioned at least
eight statues for the capital, including the welcome statue,
which was constructed to greet participants of the 1962 Asian
Games at the Senayan Sports Stadium in Central Jakarta.

The 17-meter-high statue, which shows a couple holding their
arms up in greeting and carrying a bouquet, stands on 2,000
square meters of land and now serves to welcome tourists. (07)