Seminar on Menteng planned

JAKARTA: Concern about irregularities in the development of Menteng, an exclusive suburb in Central Jakarta, has at last prompted the City Museum and Restoration Agency to discuss the problem in a seminar aimed at preserving the area.

Historian Adolf Heuken will speak at the event, scheduled to take place on Nov. 12 at the Hotel Cemara on Jl. Cemara 1, Central Jakarta.

Menteng, the first real estate development in the country, was built in 1910, based on the concept of a city garden. It remains a symbol of the architectural styles of the early 20th century.

Governor Ali Sadikin declared Menteng a restoration area in 1975 as a part of efforts to preserve the city's historical districts.

In more recent developments, however, many buildings have been renovated or reconstructed and have been used as offices or for other commercial purposes.--JP