Rasuna Epicentrum Revisited

Bahasa Indonesia

This article is written by Ade Yudirianto - early September 2008.
Two years after my last visit to Superblock Rasuna Epicentrum, finally I have the chance to visit again to know how far the building process.

Bakrie Tower and lifestyle

Bakrie Tower
Entering Rasuna Said street in Jakarta, we can already see a tower height 48 storey that looks like it is going to be broken because some of its side is tilted. This is the Bakrie Tower designed by foreign consultant HOK (Helmut Obatta Kassabaum), a 48 floor with each floor tilted 1 degree horizontally.

Last month, the tower has been finished topping off, even not all building is covered by glass facade, we can see that the first 10 floor has been covered by glass with triangle pattern. It looks different from my first presumption, there is a different because the pattern that was planned was honeycomb pattern and now it is replaced with triangle pattern.



If this is not a wrong judgement, then the 48 level tower will be the first tower in Indonesia that has public space as the first level. While the form will be the second tower in Indonesia that has plastic form after Regatta Tower in Pantai Indah Kapuk. Seeing all the appearance of bakrie Tower it seems that the calculation of efficiency value is below 80% because of its sculptural/iconic form. Some of the outer collums also tilted following displacement of every floor.


Look up and see it soaring

Running for 35 days
Other part of Superblock Rasuna Epicentrum that is being rushly buit, is LifeStyle Center or what people will call it Mall Rasuna Epicentrum. If we see it from above the siluet of the building plan will be like a human's feet (some call it like socks). This mall will be a center of activities in the blocks after the working hours. In here the building is being rushed in 35 days ahead because it has to be operated before Idul Fitri day (biggest holiday in Islam). The progress is so quick, regarding the construction now. This judgement is considering there are at least 2 facilities inside the mall that need to be done with care. One is Media Walk where visitors will walk with trams above that will be running around the entire Superblock. The second is the Galeri Neon that has fluorescent lights on the building skin. Two big national contractors hold the progress building of this facilities.


Lifestyle center RE


Lifestyle and Bakrie Tower

MORE (Marketing Office Rasuna Epicentrum)
After visiting the two buildings that is still dusty, filled with scaffolding, and concrete works everywhere, finally our eyes can be relax to see MORE that is planned in cleane and tidy space. MORE is where every visitors see to be introduced to promotion and latest development of the superblock. Here presented the model and mock-up apartment to visualize the real situation, but there is something different. The model of Rasuna Epicentrum has been bigger and for each building it has its own exhibition units. For this very big masterpiece Rasuna Epicentrum has got an award from MURi (National Record Museum of Indonesia) for the largest building model in Indonesia.


Gondola track


Rasuna complex block A model

What's so special in this revisited?
First, it is owned by the richest person in Indonesia. Then in years ahead Jakarta will be full by other properties and big superblocks. A lot of promotion and advertising filled Indonesian media. Some big players also play in this crowd such as Bakrie Group, Agung Podomoro, Duta Anggada, Ciputra and others. Jakarta will be the place where phisical construction and building is the everyday life of the urban people. A city of signboard construction. Rasuna Epicentrum will be a part of it. This superblock offers integration with the environment, can be accessed from all direction without boundaries or fence. It is said that this superblock offers a healthy public space, where social activities and public space belongs to the people.



Indonesia Jakarta will be the place where developers will make competition. If there is no new offer and innovation, then in some years ahead many investment projects will be just a dream and vanished along with the rise of the new ones. This will be the competition and life of the metropolitan. Will Indonesia be just Jakarta? or will there be media expose that Indonesia consist of other thousands of islands and cities, not just Jakarta...
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by Ade Yudirianto
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