IO – Erasmus Huis, the vibrant cultural center of The Netherlands in Jakarta, presents an exhibition showing how the Dutch deal with their heritage: “Reuse, Redevelop, and Design”, a show in the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Jl. Rasuna Said, opened on January 23, 2020 and extending until February 28, 2020.
According to Erasmus Huis Directeur Yolande Melsert, the “Reuse, Redevelop and Design” exhibition shows how outdated buildings which have lost their initial functions can be renovated for new purposes while retaining their historical features. Adaptive re-use often produces surprising combinations, such as a school in a factory, a shop in a church, or a recreational area in a military defense line. Reused buildings are often the place makers that trigger areas of development and provide these with a familiar and recognizable heart.
She further said “In the Netherlands, we have a lot of old buildings which are not used anymore – ones which used to be sugar, textile, coffee or tea factories; electricity and gas buildings – even churches which are not used anymore. Instead of demolishing the buildings, the Dutch Government is more interested in revitalizing them, making them attractive and useful to the community. For example, using an obsolete airport as a museum, a train station as a library. Through this exhibition, we want to show to the people of Indonesia that there are lots of old and beautiful buildings in Indonesia which are not utilized, abandoned or demolished. Therefore, this exhibition is to inspire people to see these old buildings in a way that it is different.
In the exhibitions, visitors can enjoy the use of ancient buildings that are no longer used, renovated as spaces that benefit the community. Examples of old buildings that are no longer used for the provision of space that is beneficial to the community not only come from the Netherlands, but also from other countries such as the United States, China, Germany, and so on.
From the Netherlands, for example, a “Palace for the public” is displayed, in which the Palace and garden of the Dutch Queen Juliana, built around 1650, through three proposals for reuse will safeguard the ecological and cultural heritage values and the ensemble will remain an integrated whole. All three reinterpret the concept of a country estate accessible to a wide audience, and let the palace tell the story of the history.
As part of the exhibition, Erasmus Huis also held a Public Lecture “Reuse, Redevelop, and Design: How the Dutch Deal with Heritage” which will be held on Wednesday, 5 February 2020, at 18.30. The speakers who are going to participate in the event are: Jean-Paul Corten, Senior Policy Officer at the Netherland Cultural Heritage Agency; Mendel Robbers, an Architect at Schipper Bos; Hadi Prabowo, an Architect-urban designer, lecturer at Trisakti University, and Chairman of the Indonesian Institute of Urban Design; and Danang Triratmoko, from dHDT Architects. (OHW)