Students share ideas, dreams about metropolis

Prodita Sabarini ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 11/06/2009 2:45 PM  |  City

Imagine an open-air Betawi cultural center in the middle of the hip albeit gridlocked Kemang, South Jakarta, using eco-friendly materials and utilizing air and sunlight.

One might find this difficult to imagine.

The once-leafy area and home to Jakartan descendents, known as the Betawi people, is now crowded and commercialized with a plethora of cafes, boutiques and galleries. Pelita Harapan University (UPH) student Ayudya Paramitha envisioned such a center and built a model.

The model, titled Kemang in the Middle of Heterogeneousness, was one of the architectural models exhibited at the Jakarta Architecture Triennale 2009.

"What makes Kemang interesting is its origin," Ayudya said.

"Modernization characterizes the majority of Kemang. It can be said it has almost forgotten its cultural roots."

In her work she said she would replace the commonly used glass with wood. Her design, she said, reduced the need for air-conditioning because it provided effective air circulation.

The exhibition, which showcased about 30 architecture student's models, runs from Nov. 4 to 22 at the Grand Indonesia's East Mall in Central Jakarta.

Head of the UPH Architecture Studio Laboratory David Hutama said the models were student's works from the past year.

"At every architecture school the backbone of the education is the design studio class where all the information *students* have learned is put into practice to create a model," he said.

The models exhibited at Grand Indonesia were students' work from the Studio class.

Two other works that featured Kemang were Patricia Gautama's Information Center and Carolina's New Atmosphere Kemang Raya.

Patricia saw Kemang as both a "spiritual and commercial place". In her brief she said her building incorporated social activities that were typical of Kemang and used clear glass in line with Kemang's character as a display window, because Kemang was considered a prime people-watching location.

Meanwhile, the New Atmosphere model by Carolina is a model of a space to socialize and library. Carolina said she derived her design from the structure of a book.

Another model that took city life into consideration was Evelyn's The Conjuction Line. Her model transforms the dense residential area of Tanjung Duren Utara, West Jakarta, an area surrounded by businesses, into a community center.

She said in Tanjung Duren residences were disconnected from one another. Her model incorporates paths that link one grid to another to unite the separate areas.

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