Five of Jakarta's biggest building projects
Published on 05/12/2014
Indonesia’s building sector growth (from $25bn in 2011 to $40bn last year) shows no sign of slowing down, and the capital Jakarta is one of the main drivers. Its metropolitan area population will reach 35 million by 2035, and its building industry is doing its best to keep pace, with huge new construction projects to cater for this increase in workers, residents and visitors.
Here are five major building projects in the capital that are either under construction or will be soon:
Pertamina Energy Tower
The world’s energy companies are often among the most keen to boost their green credentials, and Pertamina is no different – Indonesia’s state-owned player is making its mark with this 99-floor mega-project that will become the world’s first net-zero energy skyscraper. Its dedication to energy neutrality is impressive – its tip design allows it to suck wind through a series of turbines to contribute 25% of the power it uses, while a geothermal borehole and solar roof panels will help supply the rest. As well as providing desk space for 20,000 workers, by the time it is finished in 2020 the complex will also house an arts auditorium, an exhibition pavilion and a mosque.
Cemindo tower
Another tower with green building at its heart, the 63-floor Cemindo luxury office tower will be the new home of the Indonesian state cement producer when it opens next year. At its current stage of construction it is Indonesia’s tallest building, although it will be eclipsed when some of the other major projects in the city appear on Jakarta’s horizon.
Jakarta sea wall and artificial islands – solving rising seas and a rising population
When a 2007 flood breached Jakarta’s sea defences for the first time, the city fully woke up to the fact that without action, it could find itself submerged in a matter of decades. Plans were put in place, committees were formed and experts were consulted for the next six years (during which the water got in again, in 2013, flooding a river and causing $580m worth of damage), and finally in October 2014 Indonesian officials unveiled a huge flood defence and land reclamation project, the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development.
As well as a $263m sea wall, the most eye-catching part of this grandiose and long-term scheme (pencilled in for a 2030 completion date) is a plan to create 17 artificial islands. Not only would these islands and the wall protecting them serve as a barrier for the rest of Jakarta, they would also offer a chance to build houses, offices and facilities for up to a million people. Estimates of the total spend on the islands project range from $40 billion to $50 billion, with building work forming a large part of that.
While the islands plan still requires fine-tuning, it could help Jakarta’s authorities address rising seas and a rising population in one spectacular project.
Citra Towers
The Indonesian company Ciputra Group announced this December that it will spend $164m on building two commercial towers in Central Jakarta. The company has said that it chose the Central Jakarta site to offer its tenants an alternative to the Golden Triangle business district, and the decision looks to be wise – 80% of the space in the towers has already been sold. The towers should be finished in the next four years, according to the Jakarta Globe.
More tourists, more hotels
Indonesia’s government wants to attract 20 million tourists by 2019, and if they manage this, the tourists will need somewhere to stay. While Bali is still the destination of choice for most foreign tourists to Indonesia, Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport has still welcomed 1.9 million tourists this year alone, and this means that hotels are playing a big part in the city’s building boom.
Hilton Worldwide announced plans this year for the 74-storey Waldorf Astoria Jakarta, which will be the city’s tallest hotel when it opens in 2018. Another new hotel under construction in the Central Business District is the St. Regis Jakarta – part of a 141,000 sqm development that also includes a new 47-story office tower. Work is well under way on the development, which is scheduled to open in 2016.