HOLOPIS.COM, JAKARTA – Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture is preparing to revitalize historic buildings across the country, converting several heritage properties into thematic museums as part of a broader effort to preserve cultural assets while boosting heritage tourism.
Culture Minister Fadli Zon said the initiative has been presented to President Prabowo Subianto and State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, with the government planning to repurpose historically significant buildings into museums dedicated to Indonesia’s arts, history, and architecture.
One of the projects involves Jakarta Kota Railway Station, a historic landmark in Jakarta’s Old Town, which will undergo revitalization as part of efforts to modernize the station while preserving its heritage value.
“Jakarta Kota Station is a historic railway station, and Old Town is home to many heritage buildings. I have reported our plans to the President and the State Secretary. We intend to revitalize and make better use of these historic buildings,” Fadli said while speaking to reporters aboard PT KAI’s Nusantara Explorer train on Thursday, Holopis.com reported, Jum’at (31/7).
Film, Music, Photography, and Architecture Museums Planned
Among the flagship projects is the conversion of a Jasa Raharja building in Jakarta’s Old Town into the Indonesian Film Museum, which Fadli said would fill a long-standing gap in preserving the country’s cinematic history.
“We plan to turn the Jasa Raharja building into a film museum. Indonesia has never had a dedicated film museum,” he said.
The government is also planning to transform the historic Jiwasraya building on Asia Afrika Street in Bandung, West Java, into a Music Museum showcasing the development of Indonesian music.
In Semarang’s Old Town, Central Java, officials intend to establish a Photography Museum, while Surabaya, East Java, is slated to host an Architecture Museum focused on the country’s architectural heritage.
“In Semarang’s Old Town we will build a photography museum, and in Surabaya we will establish an architecture museum,” Fadli said.
He added that the first phase of the revitalization program is scheduled to begin later this year. The initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to maximize the educational, cultural, economic, and tourism value of Indonesia’s historic buildings while ensuring their long-term preservation through adaptive reuse.
