Welcome Guest   |  Login   |   Signup
JG Logo
Sat, May 26, 2012
Archive Search

Saving Batavia: A Vision of Jakarta's Past and Future
July 27, 2010

Share This Page
34
6
0
4
Share with google+ :


Post a comment
Please login to post comment

Comments

MikeOfAston
5:05pm Aug 2, 2011

Penang and Melaka (both in Malaysia)as well as Macau are UNESCO World's Heritage Cities - these are real and not-too-distant examples that administrators and planners can emulate to preserve and revitalise Kota Tua, provided they rid themselves of the misconception and vested interest that the more educational and interesting "study tours" are only to North America, West Europe and Japan.

troll
2:38pm Aug 2, 2011

padt, you're wrong. There are many I know, who treasure and who can see the beauty of Kota Tua. It's just..., unfortunately, they don't know how to channel their vision and realize it.

And I think the many malls in jakarta has nothing to do with indonesians presumption on what tourist wants. You know it's the fast way for developers and government to get money into their own pockets.

Try to organize a competition for revitalization planning of Kota Tua. I bet you'll get a huge response from the architects & urban planners

padt
8:47am Aug 2, 2011

tetuko - absolutely right! Indonesians fail to understand that foreign western tourists want to see historic and colonial Batavia - not another shopping Mall. They have them at home!

The preservation of the Old City is vital to the tourist Industry in Jakarta - unfortunately there are few with the vision and intelligence to see that far.


tetuko
11:26pm Aug 1, 2011

Indonesians often wonder why Malaysia is much more popular with tourists - Malaysians are proud to show their colonial past!

Europeans love to visit old colonial towns in South East Asia like Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, or Rangoon.

Many Indonesians presume that tourists prefer to visit skyscrapers, plazas or the Hard Rock Cafe, instead of the majestic colonial buildings.

  • Previous
  • 1
  • Next

If you leave aside South Jakarta’s business corridor, the high-priced restaurants and the city’s many shopping malls, what are you going to do in a metropolis desperately short of public spaces? Where in Jakarta can you escape the pollution, traffic and pressure for a stroll through shaded streets, a coffee at a sidewalk cafe, a visit to an art gallery and a chance to enjoy the architectural treasures of a forgotten time?

Nowhere, is the obvious answer. At least not yet. But if the decaying treasures of old Batavia, the neighborhood now known as Kota Tua, or Old Town, could be salvaged from more than a half-century of neglect, a gem would be revealed that could become an oasis of calm for city residents and a money-spinning tourist attraction for visitors to Jakarta, most of whom just hurry through their hours here, anxious to change planes for Bali.

For now, of course, apart from the partially restored splendor of Taman Fatahillah and the old Dutch city hall, Kota Tua is largely a mess. Historic structures are falling down, trees grow through collapsed roofs. There are seedy nightspots, traffic chaos and little in the way of economic vitality.

We see it differently. Kota Tua is a treasure, one of the largest stands of original colonial-era architecture in Asia. Refurbished, rezoned and allowed to flourish in a public-private partnership — the outlines of which are in a master plan being considered by the Jakarta governor’s office — Kota Tua could, and we think should, take its place alongside the other architectural marvels of Asia.

That the 17th century Dutch had the power and the temerity to think they could recreate their vision of Europe in a tropical outpost rife with disease may be looked upon now as imperial madness. However, the fact that much of this early history remains standing, having evaded destruction through war or a developer’s bulldozer, is a reality that the current generation, separated from the bitterness of the colonial legacy, can now reclaim.

As this special report shows, Kota Tua is integral to Jakarta’s history, and can be a big part of Jakarta’s future.

In its rush over five decades to expand and modernize, Jakarta has largely forgotten its past. Kota Tua is in trouble. The exquisite historic buildings around Taman Fatahillah are crumbling. The grand old boulevard along the Kali Besar canal reeks of stagnant water. The small shop-houses, some providing refuge for squatters, might as well be occupied by ghosts, given how eerie they look after sundown. Similar treasures in Chinatown and the old Arab district bear the scars of neglect.

The whole place could fade to little more than a memory. But given aggressive leadership and a vision of creative change, a city desperate for beauty and calm amid the urban sprawl could benefit immensely from a revitalized and reborn Kota Tua.

We offer this selection of articles as a starting point for debate, a celebration of the past and a reminder of the treasure in our midst. Let’s not let it fade to dust.