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Monas garden set for face-lift
The city administration is aiming to spruce up the capitalâs iconic National Monument (Monas) by redesigning the surrounding grounds
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he city administration is aiming to spruce up the capital's iconic National Monument (Monas) by redesigning the surrounding grounds.
During a site inspection on Wednesday, Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo explained to reporters that he specifically wanted to redesign the garden surrounding the monument. The renovation work started two weeks ago.
'The garden had no concept and only had chinquapin trees and random ornaments, which did not complement Jakarta's icon. The garden should accentuate the monument,' Jokowi said. 'The garden doesn't need ornaments. We will plant new grass, such as Jamaican grass as well as pretty plants,' he said, without elaborating on the details.
The garden, the governor said, will be surrounded by a fence to prevent visitors from stepping on the grass. The city administration will also add public facilities to attract visitors.
'We will set up a wi-fi connection and add more park benches and lights,' Jokowi said, adding that the city would also optimize the use of CCTV cameras installed in the Monas compound to prevent crime.
Jokowi said he expected project would be completed in December.
Diah Ivoniarty of the Indonesia Landscape Architects Association (IALI) said that she supported the governor's move, citing that the garden at the Monas compound was not designed properly.
'The Monas garden looked like a private garden behind a house, whereas it should be a formal garden that highlights the monuments's historical aspects,' she added.
Diah believed the garden should be symmetrical to meet its purpose.
'Asymmetrical design is not for a public garden like the one in Monas. Single plants, like palm trees, are also recommended for a public garden,' she pointed out.
She emphasized that the city should also maintain the site's ecological function. 'The site has an ecological function which has worked properly so the city should maintain that aspect,' she added.
Jokowi added that the new garden would not be affected by the plan to develop Monas' underground spaces, which is expected to begin next year. 'The plan will only affect 10 percent of the complex,' he said.
The city administration has allocated Rp 60 billion (US$5.2 million) this year to buy trees as part of its effort to boost the capital's green spaces.
