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Nestled in the heart of Bukittinggi stands the famous Jam Gadang.

The 26-meter-tall clock tower looks boastfully across the highland city, 90 kilometers north of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, and casts a long shadow over the shorter structures in its environs. Its curved, buffalo-horn-shaped roof, typical of local Minangkabau architecture, gives the white-washed colonial clock tower an Indonesian edge.

At first glance, the clock tower seems architecturally strong. But upon closer inspection, its 13-meter-by-5-meter base and 80-centimeter-diameter clock reveal that the landmark — built in 1926 as a gift from the Dutch queen to the city secretary — is in need of serious restoration.

In March 2007, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake ripped through western Sumatra and Bukittinggi, killing dozens of people and crumbling buildings throughout the city.

While Jam Gadang seemed to have pulled through the quake unscathed, a technical study led by the Ancient Heritage Conservation Center (BP3) revealed that the quake had inflicted damage to the lofty structure.

“When a natural disaster occurs, the government saves the people first — and then buildings,” said Catrini Kubontubuh, executive director of the Indonesian Heritage Trust (BPPI), which is working with BP3 to preserve Jam Gadang.

“But what they often neglect is the social and cultural heritage that is also affected by disasters,” she said.

BP3 found that the five-story tower suffered roughly 50 minor inner-structural cracks on the first three floors and a horizontal fissure about 1.5 meters from the base. A number of the structure’s foundation blocks at the foot of the tower were also damaged.

While conducting the survey, BP3 noted other non-quake-related concerns, such as decaying doors and window frames, moss-covered walls and corroded stairs.

The results of the survey raised serious concerns about the overall structural stability of the tower.

In 2009, BP3 took preliminary measures to temporarily repair the most dire parts, which meant giving the base of the tower a chemical injection of Conbextra, a non-shrink cementitious grout, which fills cracks that could weaken the structure.

But BP3 agreed that if the city wanted to restore Jam Gadang to its original glory, it was going to need as much help as it could get.

Enter BPPI, who along with the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta, created the Shared Heritage Fund in an effort to preserve the clock as part of the city’s colonial heritage.

Catrini said that the Jam Gadang conservation effort was part of BPPI’s heritage emergency response, which is aimed at preserving social and cultural heritage following a natural disaster.

The program involves damage assessments, fund-raising and the implementation of post-disaster rehabilitation.

In December 2009, BPPI held a coordination meeting with structure and conservation experts from numerous institutions, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the Indonesian Center for Architecture Documentation.

Last month, BPPI, along with those involved in the coordination meeting, scanned the building using a 3-D laser.

“It’s like scanning a sick person,” said Aristia Kusuma, BPPI’s office manager.

The same method was used by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in the preservation of Borobudur Temple.

“This technology allows us to scan the outer structure so we can see if the quake has caused an incline in the building,” Aristia said.

A scan of Jam Gadang found that the building had inclined.

Catrini explained that a building could tolerate a tilt of up to five degrees. “It becomes dangerous when the building inclines by that much,” she said.

Fortunately, the tower’s current incline is less than two degrees. “It’s not yet significant enough for us to do something about it,” she said.

The next step, Catrini said, is a two-week archeological excavation followed by structural and material research, slated for completion at the end of the month.

“It’s just to confirm that there is no extreme damage,” she said.

After the experts have handed over their final recommendations, BPPI and BP3 can begin the physical rehabilitation and preservation of Jam Gadang. The main focus will be on ensuring that the structure is earthquake-resistant.

Han Awal, one of the architectural experts in the program, said it was important to study the architectural trends of the time the building was designed. He said that the white sand, limestone and egg white used in the construction of the building, instead of cement, may have contributed to the building’s demise.

Han said that to preserve the historical nature of the building, the team would employ the “adaptive reuse” technique, which strengthens the function of a structure without altering its original architectural characteristics.

“We can use modern materials,” he said, “but we don’t want to ruin the look of the old structure.”

Fixing the cracks and decay and strengthening the clock tower is just one part of the equation.

Catrini said BPPI hoped that preservation efforts would eventually go beyond simply saving the tower. The long-term goal, she said, is to spread the word about the rehabilitation program and involve the community, so as to turn Jam Gadang and its surrounding area into a social and cultural hot spot.

Aristia said the heritage association was working to preserve the whole area, not just Jam Gadang, and that something needed to be done about the street vendors that overrun the park.

“It’s like a night market,” she said.

Another eyesore for tourists and residents alike is the colorful ATM that stands out of the cultural site.

“It’s ruining the image of Jam Gadang as heritage,” Aristia said.

Paul Peters, head of press and cultural affairs at the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta, said the Dutch government was more than happy to step in and help.

“The Dutch government’s intention is not just to conserve old buildings as monuments, but more importantly, [to ensure] that the residents of the city use those buildings,” he said. “The functional value [of Jam Gadang] can become an element of the city’s local identity and also an economic asset to help the tourism sector.”

For Catrini and the heritage trust, the restoration and rehabilitation brings the city together in celebration of its past and anticipation of its future.

“Heritage is not just about a monument, it’s about the social and cultural activities that come with it,” she said.
‘Efforts to Conserve Jam Gadang’

A small photo exhibition

Galeri HER.it.AGE

Jl. Veteran I No. 27, Central Jakarta

Tel: 021 351 127