New development demonstrates conservation via compromise

Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

On the side of the fast-paced strip of Gajah Mada, West Jakarta, modern concrete columns converge with an old Chinese roof, creating a space where time, or at least history, stands still.

Amid criticism that new urban development projects often swallow up architectural heritage, an as yet unnamed high-rise apartment project featuring a 19th century Chinese mansion as part of its main entrance serves as an example of how old and new buildings can cross paths.

But in the case of this building, they were paths that crossed involuntarily. It was only public resistance, and then the 1997 monetary crisis, that halted the original plans for the 32 story mixed use complex.

Candra Naya, the old Chinese mansion, still looks as if it has been swallowed by the giant concrete structure built overhead. But at least it has not been chewed.

As land has become increasingly expensive and the urge to build and build has continued unabated, heritage sites have been far from the top priority of developers and the city administration.

True heritage buffs stand at one extreme, arguing nothing should be done to alter historically rich old buildings.

With no incentives on offer for the restoration of these buildings it is difficult and expensive to maintain their upkeep.

Furthermore, it would take significant investment to make them function in line with the pace of modern urban life.

And new investment comes only when something is offered in return.

"There should be compromises to protect heritage buildings. This has been done with Candra Naya," said lecturer at Tarumanagara University's School of Architecture Naniek Widayati, who is overseeing the conservation project.

"After a series of discussions, the developer agreed to make the main building of the mansion part of the main entrance," Naniek said Tuesday.

In the project that intertwines new development with heritage conservation, what started as a conflict of interest between developers and heritage protectors turned out to be a compromise worth observing.

Candra Naya itself was built somewhere between 1807 and 1867. No inscription of the buildings exact date has been found in the building, Naniek explained in her research paper.

The complex originally occupied a 2.4 hectares of land, comprising a main building at the front and an extension at the back.

The house was declared a heritage site in 1931 under a Dutch Monumente Ordonantie and later by a ministerial decree in 1988. A 1993 gubernatorial decree classified it as an A-class heritage site that could not be physically altered.

But in 1994, private developer PT Bumi Perkasa Permai obtained a building permit to build its mixed use complex on the Candra Naya site.

The extension wing was torn down, with the company arguing it was a mere addition to the original building and that the new structure needed the area for essential support.

The public reaction was that the partial demolition had destroyed the beauty and essence of the heritage building.

But what is the essence of heritage?

For Candra Naya, physical existence is only a secondary factor. Most important is the story of how the building helped shape Jakarta's urban society.

The Khouw family who built the complex was prominent in Jakarta life during the 19th century.

Khouw Tian Sek, family's patriarch, was a rich landlord who passed his land on to his son Khouw Tjeng Tjoan, who passed it down to his son Khouw Kim An.

The latter was a Dutch-appointed Chinese community leader, who, apart from being member of the Dutch representative council the Volksraad, was also head of the Chinese council Kong Kwan and the political party Chung Hwa Hui.

Khouw died in 1945 in a concentration camp during the Japanese occupation and was buried in the family cemetery in Jati Petamburan, Central Jakarta.

In 1946, the complex was occupied by Sin Ming Hui, a Chinese social organization which turned the private house into a center for health, social and education services.

The activities later developed into what we know today as Sumber Waras private hospital, sports organizations and education institutions such as the Candra Naya school complex and Tarumanagara university.

Jakarta cultural and museum agency head Aurora Tambunan has stressed the importance of preserving history and making it available to the public, rather than solely concentrating on preserving physical structures.

As much as it sounds like a defensive line from an administration uncommitted to conservation, there is a point: conservation efforts shouldn't just be about pure romanticism.

Architecturally, engulfing an old elegant Chinese mansion with giant concrete columns cannot be a pretty sight.

But architecture isn't the only thing in this world, is it?