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here are some revelations from a recent study visit to Palembang: The first intentionally created real public space in Indonesia. Its main aim: To enable the people to enjoy the city space.

It is no surprise that Palembang has been awarded several prizes for its management of transportation, watering systems as well as this singular public space. Only one year ago the city of Palembang, together with the country’s capital Jakarta, hosted the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).

Given its scale, this shows the progressive ambitions of the local authorities.

Just a decade ago the whole of Palembang’s waterfront was covered by informal development built, for the most part, by the influx of trans-migrants — the indigenous inhabitants would not settle by the river due to frequent flooding.

It was under the guidance of Hilda Zulkifli, then director of the municipal urban planning department, that this revolutionary space was shaped.

An enforced resettlement of preexisting housing inhabited by several hundred families enabled the creation of an area of added value that now serves the whole city.

It is the first proper public space in Palembang and apparently in Indonesia. It is proper because of its generous scale, easy access, limitation of traffic and most of all an unrestricted use negotiated only in terms of commercial use.

The chosen site holds the necessary qualities to become an attractive public space: Accessibility, presence of historical buildings and a lot of people. Maybe only some more buildings could help finish the shaping of this (future) metropolitan space.

As a result, the opening of the iconic Ampera Bridge received the necessary exposure and can now be admired now across the water.

The exisiting 18th century fortified walls were incorporated into the design of this space and became the main frontage, thus, the name: Benteng kuto besak Square (fortification wall in the Palembangeese dialect). This is in high contrast to the regular spatial development apparent across Indonesia at the current time, which seems to lack an emphasis on the space between buildings.

Once you leave the square, the same rule of isolated objects in space persists: The Sultan House, the National Monument (Monas) — all illuminated as icons within a background.

Further, the same rule will be applied to housing and public buildings plunged into the chaos of uncontrolled, badly designed, traffic-only-oriented spaces, which are supposed to serve the people as in European cities.

Gall Podlaszewski
Weimar, Germany