Stella Maris Church in Pluit, North Jakarta, has been receiving its fair share of attention ever since its renovation in November 2012. Plans for renovations of the old building started in early 2011, with church members voting on their favorite out of three designs by prominent Indonesian architects.

The selected design, a grand oval-shaped and stone-covered building designed by Budiman Hendropurnomo of Denton Corker Marshall, has now become the iconic and award-winning building that is the new face of Stella Maris Church.

The church'€™s Board of Councilors member Agus Johan told The Jakarta Post that the board finally went through with its plans for the renovation because of overcrowding during Mass and the old building'€™s deteriorating physical condition.

Sheila Sugiarto, a young member of Stella Maris Church, expressed how glad she was when she heard news of the renovation. '€œThe old building had been inundated with water several times during Jakarta'€™s flood seasons, and its floor tiles and walls were cracked and broken because of that. And it was always so hot! I was very happy when they finally decided to renovate.'€

But many people wonder why the board decided to go ahead with a modern design that is very unlike most traditional Gothic church designs.

Agus said it was because they wanted to appeal to the church'€™s young members. '€œWe are getting old, and we need the younger people to take charge and continue on our responsibilities. But we understand that their view of the world is different to ours, so we wanted to cater to their modern views with this new design, in the hope they realize that their Catholic church can evolve with them.'€

The board'€™s decision seems to have worked. Agus said that Sunday Mass was always full and the church'€™s younger members had been vocal about their interest in the new design. One of them, Felisa Zen, said that her motivation to go to Stella Maris Church had increased ever since the renovation.

'€œI used to go to Regina Caeli Church in Pantai Indah Kapuk more often because its building was nicer and more comfortable. But now I go to Stella Maris every week because I never get bored of its design, and most importantly, they now have built-in air conditioners that keep Mass cool and pleasant.'€

However, the new design has not pleased everybody. Agus said that the church'€™s senior members, especially those who had been active in the church since its establishment in 1976, felt that the design was too modern for a Catholic church. They preferred Gothic-centric designs that were evident in most traditional churches, such as the Jakarta Cathedral.

Stella Maris Church was shortlisted in the '€œBest Religious Buildings'€ category in the 2015 World Architecture Festival. Agus hoped that excitement over the church'€™s design would continue to motivate the church'€™s younger members.
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Nathalie Abigail Budiman is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

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