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According to the head of the City Parks Agency, Dadang Ruskandar, the project would include renovating the "outdated" landscaping and sprucing up the fountain.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)