Menteng
Encyclopedia
Menteng is a subdistrict
of Central Jakarta
, one of the administrative city which forms the special capital territory of Jakarta
, Indonesia
.
The subdistrict is best known as the location of the Menteng residential area, a new urban design
developed in the 1910s to become a residential area for Dutch people and high officials. Supported by easy access to service centers and nearby to the central business district, this area has become one of the most expensive areas for residential real estate in Jakarta. Several important people such as former president Suharto take up residence in Menteng. The President of the United States Barack Obama
spent his childhood in Menteng, attending local schools including Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School.
Menteng Subdistrict is located to the south of Merdeka Square
. It is roughly bounded by Kebon Sirih Road to the north, a canal to the west, the canal Kali Malang to the south, and the river Ciliwung to the east.
Menteng Subdistrict is served by several railway stations (e.g. Gondangdia Station, Sudirman Station, Cikini Station, and Mampang Station. Mohammad Husni Thamrin Road is the main artery of Jakarta, which lies on the west part of Menteng Subdistrict.
. It was developed by the private real estate company N.V. de Bouwploeg, established by Pieter Adriaan Jacobus Moojen (1879 - 1955). At that time, the Menteng residential area was known then as Nieuw Gondangdia, and was designed by P.J.S. Moojen and F.J. Kubatz, a Dutch architect. The Nieuw Gondangdia, also known as Menteng Project, was started during the 1910s-1920s. The project was meant to be the southern expansion of the city Batavia.
Menteng Project is designed following a hierarchical system that divides streets and houses into several classes. Parks cover about 30 percent of the area in 23 places (e.g. Suropati Park, Tugu Tani park, and Situ Lembang). A 1975 gubernatorial decree declared Menteng a cultural heritage area, citing its distinctive architecture, which often includes high, slanting roofs and ample gardens. During the 1980s, the west part of Menteng was transformed into a commercial area, such as Sabang Street (now Agus Salim street), Jaksa Street, Teuku Cik Di Tiro Street, and Menteng Raya Street. Most of them changed into shops, hotels, offices, and restaurants. The Jalan Jaksa Festival is held every year in Jaksa Street.
Presently, conservation of the Menteng residential area has shown many problems. Despite being a cultural heritage area, many houses were renovated into a Neoclassical style by newcomers, a style which has no relation with Menteng residential area. Authorities may stop the construction of a building which violate the Menteng style, but some projects resume until the houses are finished. Other problem related to the conservation of Menteng residential area are banning of businesses in the area despite the rising land taxes, fraud by architects of the newly renovated buildings, and the general lack of knowledge in conservation.
The architecture style of Menteng residential area was known as "Indies" or "Indo-European". It is characterized with tall pyramid-shaped roofs, front terraces, wide courtyard, characteristic textures in the wall, and other architectural forms such as windows, doors, and prominent air ventilation. The architectural style of the building in Menteng can be classified into Classicism
/Old Indies, Nieuwe Zakelijkheid
, New Indies, Art Nouveau
and Art Deco
, Amsterdam School
, De Stijl
, Le Corbusier
and traditional Indonesian architecture
.
The residences of Menteng area was classified into several classes according to a recommendation by the Department of Civil Works (Burgerlijke Openbare Werken):
Houses in this class are generally one or two floored free-standing house (hoofd gebouw) with one or two wings/pavilions attached to the main building.
Residence class 6 and 7 were targeted for the colonial government officials and was known as Land Woningen Voor Ambtenaren (Dutch "Country Houses for Officials"). Generally, these houses are one-floored and can sometimes be a semi-detached
house (Dutch koppel).
or administrative villages:
Subdistricts of Indonesia
In Indonesia, a kecamatan or district is a subdivision of a regency or of a city . A district is itself divided into kelurahan or administrative villages....
of Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta is one of the five cities which form Jakarta, Indonesia. It had 898,883 inhabitants at the 2010 Census.Central Jakarta is the smallest in area and population of the five cities of Jakarta. It is the administrative and political center of Jakarta and Indonesia...
, one of the administrative city which forms the special capital territory of Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
The subdistrict is best known as the location of the Menteng residential area, a new urban design
Urban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
developed in the 1910s to become a residential area for Dutch people and high officials. Supported by easy access to service centers and nearby to the central business district, this area has become one of the most expensive areas for residential real estate in Jakarta. Several important people such as former president Suharto take up residence in Menteng. The President of the United States Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
spent his childhood in Menteng, attending local schools including Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School.
Menteng Subdistrict is located to the south of Merdeka Square
Merdeka Square, Jakarta
Merdeka Square is a large square located in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia. The square is surrounded by important government buildings such as the Merdeka Palace, the Supreme Court and various governmental ministries. At its center stands the National Monument...
. It is roughly bounded by Kebon Sirih Road to the north, a canal to the west, the canal Kali Malang to the south, and the river Ciliwung to the east.
Menteng Subdistrict is served by several railway stations (e.g. Gondangdia Station, Sudirman Station, Cikini Station, and Mampang Station. Mohammad Husni Thamrin Road is the main artery of Jakarta, which lies on the west part of Menteng Subdistrict.
Menteng residential area
Menteng residential area is located in Menteng Subdistrict. The residential area spread over the administrative villages of Menteng and Gondangdia. Menteng residential area is the first modern housing estate in JakartaJakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
. It was developed by the private real estate company N.V. de Bouwploeg, established by Pieter Adriaan Jacobus Moojen (1879 - 1955). At that time, the Menteng residential area was known then as Nieuw Gondangdia, and was designed by P.J.S. Moojen and F.J. Kubatz, a Dutch architect. The Nieuw Gondangdia, also known as Menteng Project, was started during the 1910s-1920s. The project was meant to be the southern expansion of the city Batavia.
Menteng Project is designed following a hierarchical system that divides streets and houses into several classes. Parks cover about 30 percent of the area in 23 places (e.g. Suropati Park, Tugu Tani park, and Situ Lembang). A 1975 gubernatorial decree declared Menteng a cultural heritage area, citing its distinctive architecture, which often includes high, slanting roofs and ample gardens. During the 1980s, the west part of Menteng was transformed into a commercial area, such as Sabang Street (now Agus Salim street), Jaksa Street, Teuku Cik Di Tiro Street, and Menteng Raya Street. Most of them changed into shops, hotels, offices, and restaurants. The Jalan Jaksa Festival is held every year in Jaksa Street.
Presently, conservation of the Menteng residential area has shown many problems. Despite being a cultural heritage area, many houses were renovated into a Neoclassical style by newcomers, a style which has no relation with Menteng residential area. Authorities may stop the construction of a building which violate the Menteng style, but some projects resume until the houses are finished. Other problem related to the conservation of Menteng residential area are banning of businesses in the area despite the rising land taxes, fraud by architects of the newly renovated buildings, and the general lack of knowledge in conservation.
The residences
The houses of Menteng were aimed for the Dutch or locals with higher status. The new residential area was segregated from the traditional dwelling (kampung) scattered around the area. Menteng Project was the first housing project in Jakarta that follows the first law of urban planning in Batavia, known as Bataviasche Bouwverordening.The architecture style of Menteng residential area was known as "Indies" or "Indo-European". It is characterized with tall pyramid-shaped roofs, front terraces, wide courtyard, characteristic textures in the wall, and other architectural forms such as windows, doors, and prominent air ventilation. The architectural style of the building in Menteng can be classified into Classicism
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
/Old Indies, Nieuwe Zakelijkheid
Nieuwe Zakelijkheid
Nieuwe Zakelijkheid, translated as New Objectivity or New Pragmatism, is a Dutch phrase usually describing a period of modernist architecture that started in the 1920s and continued into the 1930s; the term is also used to denote a period in art and literature...
, New Indies, Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
, Amsterdam School
Amsterdam School
The Amsterdam School is a style of architecture that arose from 1910 through about 1930 in The Netherlands...
, De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl , propagating the group's theories. Next to van Doesburg, the group's principal members were the painters Piet Mondrian , Vilmos Huszár , and Bart van der Leck , and the architects Gerrit Rietveld , Robert van 't Hoff , and J.J.P. Oud...
, Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
and traditional Indonesian architecture
Indonesian architecture
The Architecture of Indonesia reflects the diversity of cultural, historical and geographic influences that have shaped Indonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonisers, missionaries, merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques....
.
The residences of Menteng area was classified into several classes according to a recommendation by the Department of Civil Works (Burgerlijke Openbare Werken):
Mid-high class residences
The residence was classified as class 1 to 3. The houses of these type were built in the core area of Menteng and were targeted for high officials and high class Dutch or European civilians. The architecture style was known as "Transitional Period" (Overgangs periode), which is the style of architecture between the older "Old Indies House" style (Oud Indische Huis), with its typical wide courtyard and wide terraces, to the more modern style called the "European Villa". The area is connected with wide boulevards.Houses in this class are generally one or two floored free-standing house (hoofd gebouw) with one or two wings/pavilions attached to the main building.
Mid-low class residences
The residence was classified as class 4 to 7. These are the most dominant type of houses in Menteng. The architecture style is a fusion between the Dutch Transitional Period houses and local traditional houses. The area is connected with narrower streets, classifed in Dutch as Laan, Straat or Weg.Residence class 6 and 7 were targeted for the colonial government officials and was known as Land Woningen Voor Ambtenaren (Dutch "Country Houses for Officials"). Generally, these houses are one-floored and can sometimes be a semi-detached
Semi-detached
Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...
house (Dutch koppel).
Facilities
The master plan of Menteng included some facilities and infrastructures:- N.V. de Bouwploeg Architects office, (now Cut Mutiah MosqueCut Mutiah MosqueCut Mutiah Mosque is a mosque located at Jalan Cut Mutiah No. 1, Jakarta Pusat, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia. The mosque is named after the well-known Indonesian heroine Cut Nyak Meutia who took part in the struggle against Dutch colonialism in Aceh....
). - Bataviasche Kunstkring (now a bar)
- Nassaukerk (now St.Paulus and Theresia Church).
- Gedung Ditjen Kebudayaan
- A school building (now in HOS. Cokroaminoto Street)
- Parks
Kelurahan (Administrative Villages)
The subdistrict of Menteng is divided into five kelurahanVillage (Indonesia)
An administrative village is the lowest level of government administration in Indonesia. It could be a village or a kelurahan. A village is headed by a village chief , which is elected by popular vote. A kelurahan is headed by a lurah....
or administrative villages:
- Menteng - area code 10310
- The southern area of the Menteng Project.
- Pegangsaan - area code 10320
- Known as the location of the house where the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence was read.
- Cikini - area code 10330
- Kebon Sirih - area code 10340
- Gondangdia - area code 10350
- The northern area of the Menteng Project.
List of important places
- Canisius College
- Cut Mutiah MosqueCut Mutiah MosqueCut Mutiah Mosque is a mosque located at Jalan Cut Mutiah No. 1, Jakarta Pusat, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia. The mosque is named after the well-known Indonesian heroine Cut Nyak Meutia who took part in the struggle against Dutch colonialism in Aceh....
- Entertainment X'nterEntertainment X'nterThe Entertainment X'nter is a shopping mall located in Menteng, Central Jakarta directly beside the Japanese Embassy....
- Gedung Joeang 45
- Gedung Perintis Kemerdekaan
- Gondangdia Station
- Grand Hyatt and Plaza IndonesiaPlaza IndonesiaPlaza Indonesia is located in central Jakarta and is often referred to as PI. Plaza Indonesia is the first high end shopping centre in Indonesia....
- Hotel IndonesiaHotel IndonesiaHotel Indonesia - Kempinski, commonly abbreviated as HI, is one of the oldest and best known hotels in Indonesia. Located in Central Jakarta, it is one of the first 5-star hotels in the country. For many years, it has been the city's major landmark. Its fame is often linked to the country's...
, the first luxurious hotel in Indonesia and a landmark of Jakarta. - Jakarta Theater
- Mandarin Hotel
- MegariaMegariaMetropole is a historic multipurpose building complex in Jakarta, Indonesia. One of its main tenants is the 21 Cineplex group, which operates the Metropole XXI movie theater in the complex's main building. As a historic cinema, it has screened films during the first Indonesian Film Festival and...
Theater (formerly Menteng Theater) - Menara Thamrin
- Menteng Park (the site of the former Menteng StadiumMenteng StadiumMenteng Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Menteng, Central Jakarta, Indonesia. It was used mostly for football reserve matches and was the home stadium of Persija football team. The stadium was built in 1921 with Dutch architects F.J. Kubatz dan P.A.J...
) - Selamat Datang MonumentSelamat Datang MonumentSelamat Datang Monument , also known as the Welcome Monument, is a monument located in Jakarta, Indonesia...
, in the middle of Bundaran HI (Hotel Indonesia) - Museum of the Declaration of Independence (Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi)
- Nikko Hotel
- Patung PahlawanPatung PahlawanPatung Pahlawan is a bronze statue located in Jakarta, Indonesia. The statue depicts a peasant man wearing a caping with a rifle on his shoulder, a woman behind him offering him a dish of rice...
- Sarinah (Graha Mataram)
- Sasmita Loka Ahmad Yani Museum
- St. Paul Church
- St. Theresia Church
- Sunda Kelapa Mosque
- Suropati Park
- Taman Ismail Marzuki
- Tugu Proklamasi (Monumen Proklamator)