Previously having a smell of old money, an aging compound owned by state-owned bill printing firm Peruri will soon have the smell of creativity in the air.

The site, located in Melawai, Kebayoran Baru in South Jakarta, will have a new purpose to revive the area’s past glory as a lifestyle center as projects are underway to transform it into a new creative space.

In 1994 Peruri started to transfer its print operations from its Melawai headquarters to the Karawang industrial complex before fully moving its operations there in 2005.

The Melawai office, sitting on a 6,500-square-meter plot of land, used to host employee activities and machines that printed crisp rupiah bills.

An initiative by a group of creative minds aims to bring the site back to life for a new purpose: to return the capital’s arts and lifestyle center to its South Jakarta roots, according to a vision statement by the cofounders of PT
Ruang Riang Milenial.

The company comprises people from creative business backgrounds. Music observer and former music journalist Wendi Putranto said he had collaborated with musician Glenn Fredly, architect Jacob Gatot Sura, film producer Handoko Hendroyono, film director Lance Mengong and businessman Mario Sugianto in establishing the company.

“Our vision is to create a cross-creative hub. If there is a meeting point, then there is greater potential for collaboration,” Wendi told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The company is tasked with managing the project of transforming and rebranding the old Peruri office as a new creative hub called M Bloc Space, slated to open its doors in September.

The site sits just a few steps away from the prominent Blok M area that houses an MRT station, Transjakarta bus stop and bus terminal. It is also located near the planned CSW integrated station that will connect Transjakarta and the ASEAN MRT station.

Wendi explained the site would house up to 16 food and beverage business tenants as well as creative businesses such as a record store in the front area that used to be housing for Peruri employees.

Behind the buildings, two former warehouses will be converted into a live house music venue and restaurant. The complex will also include a corridor that will host pop up flea markets.

The highlight of the M Bloc Space will be the live house as it is designed for emerging musicians to hold music performances to audiences of 100 to 500 people, Wendi said.

“Jakarta lacks music venues, although there are a lot of bands here,” Wendi said.

For the M Bloc Space project, the cofounders and investors have raised Rp 6 billion (US$424,404), which will be used primarily for the renovation and three months of operations.

The buildings and the land used by the M Bloc Space is still under the ownership of Peruri as Ruang Riang Milenial has been given a five-year contract to manage the space, which will be reviewed periodically, Wendi said.

M Bloc Space architect and tenant director Jacob Gatot Sura said the old site was not included in the city’s heritage building list, which allowed the company to transform the area.

However, he said the company would maintain the main design of the buildings and only carry out repairs.

“We don’t have to but we want to preserve the spirit of Kebayoran Baru. The soul of South Jakarta was once here,” Jacob said.

He explained Blok M was the center of Jakarta’s creative community from the 60s to the 80s, so the project also sought to revive the area’s cultural significance.

The main façade would be left intact, with more tinkering at the back of the site so it could function as a backyard for Jakartans with flea markets, music or barbeque events held by the food and beverage tenants.

“We think that Jakartans no longer have backyards. We will provide a backyard here in the middle of the city’s hustle and bustle,” Jacob said.

For the 16 tenants and the restaurant, the company will choose local and independent brands to support their businesses, he added.

The space’s proximity with the MRT stations and Transjakarta bus stops is also expected to encourage visitors to use public transportation as the site would only have 20 to 30 car parking spaces available.

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