Architectural Treasures in Pasar Baru: Jakarta, West Java

Kibout, 59, spent the afternoon sitting in front of the old Chinese shop in Pasar Baru market, Central Jakarta. The exterior of the dilapidated two-story shop, dominated by faded red and decorated with oriental ornaments, bore the sign “Toko Kompak“.

“This house was built by Mayor Tio almost 200 years ago. This was the first building in the market,” said Kibout, who grew up in the local neighborhood.

Mayor Tio was one of the five mayors appointed to lead the Chinese ethnic community during the Dutch colonial period two centuries ago.

“This was originally a house but later it was turned into a furniture shop,” said Kibout, who has been worked at the market for a number of years.

Despite its rundown appearance, the building’s interior, with its faded doors, damaged window frames and ornaments, still evokes a sense of grandeur and authority. .

“I have no intention of refurbishing this shop,” said the building owner, who preferred to remain anonymous.

The current owner inherited Toko Kompak from his father, who bought the building from a descendent of Mayor Tio in the 1930s.

“Since the building was declared a cultural heritage site, I haven’t received any help with preserving it,” he said.

The government declared Toko Kompak a cultural heritage building in 1993, along with four other shop buildings in the Pasar Baru Market area. However, only Toko Kompak has preserved its original appearance. The other buildings have already been renovated, maintaining only their original second floor exteriors.
With its remarkable structure belonging to an older time, Toko Kompak now stands alone as a reminder of the past.

Like other Chinese architecture from the same period, the second floor of Toko Kompak features a void in the center, surrounded by a delicately carved handrail.

At the back of the shop is a wide yard intended as a family gathering space, another typical characteristic of ancient Chinese houses.

“This building has remained the same since it was first built two centuries ago,” said the owner.

The owner said he had never thought of turning his shop into a museum, in spite of its historical value as the oldest building in the market area.

Turning such old buildings into museums can actually help preserve them. This has been the case with the National Archive Museum in Jl. Gajah Mada, West Jakarta, the former residence of a high ranking Dutch official. This museum is now one of the best-maintained old buildings in Jakarta.

But Toko Kompak’s owner has refused to follow suit, presumably worried about the maintenance costs and the administrative duties conversion to a museum might bring.

Most shop houses at this market have had new and modern facelifts, or been rebuilt entirely, leaving only a few old shops like Toko Kompak hunkered down amidst the towering new developments.

Such ancient shop houses are a sign of the golden period once experienced by the merchants of this busy commercial area, Jakarta’s first elite shopping center.

Pasar Baru Market was initially built to serve the growing upper class Dutch community who lived along Jalan Veteran in Central Jakarta, which was then called Rijswijk.

Until the 1970s, this market still served as a luxury shopping center, selling both local and imported products. But its popularity faded with the emergence of new modern plazas and malls.

The only signs that anyone remembers Pasar Baru’s history as a successful trading center are the two towering oriental gateways at either entrance, which were built by the government five years ago to boost this market’s image as a culture tourism destination.

Besides these gateways, only Toko Kompak’s unique architecture hints at the potential this old market has as a tourist site.

“Many tourists, both domestic and foreign, have come here to enjoy this ancient architecture,” said Kibout.

Yet with the trend toward renovation and the building of more modern structures to lure today’s shoppers to Pasar Baru and other traditional markets, Toko Kompak may find its days are numbered.

Source: Jakarta Post