Kebayoran Baru


Kebayoran Baru is a district of South Jakarta, Indonesia. The name of the district was derived from an area which was developed in the post-war period as a new suburb town of Jakarta, Kebayoran Baru. Kebayoran Baru was the last residential area to be developed by the Dutch colonial administration. The urban planning was laid in a concept of the Garden city movement, consisting of a well-planned residential area, a shopping center, and a business district, supported with civic facilities e.g. schools, places of worship, hospitals, and parks. Many important governmental institutions are located in Kebayoran Baru, such as the Indonesia Stock Exchange building, the ASEAN Secretariat building, the Criminal Investigation Agency of the National Police, and the City Hall of South Jakarta. Sudirman Central Business District is also located in Kebayoran Baru sub-district.

Toponym

Kebayoran Baru means "New Kebayoran". The word kebayoran is derived from kabayuran, meaning "stockpiles of bayur wood. Kabayuran or Kebayuran refers to the name of a settlement Kampung Kabayuran, located outside Batavia on the west bank of Grogol River. The settlement was located near an area where stockpiles of timber were established to be transported to Batavia via the river. Bayur wood is known for its strength and resistance to termite attack. The Kampung Kabayuran settlement thrived in the early 19th-century but has since been urbanized. This settlement was located roughly on what is now the Kebayoran Railway Station, currently located in the district of Kebayoran Lama.

Government

As a district, the area of Kebayoran Baru is larger than the historic Kebayoran Baru satellite city, including the southern area of Kebayoran Baru and the Sudirman Central Business District to the northeast. The rough boundaries of Kebayoran Baru district are Sudirman Avenue to the northwest, Gatot Subroto Road to the northeast, Krukut River to the east, Cipete Utara Road - Haji Nawi Road to the south, and Grogol River to the west.
The district of Kebayoran Baru is divided into ten kelurahan or administrative villages:
This subsection focuses on the area of Kebayoran Baru that was once the Kebayoran Baru satellite city.

History

The development of Kebayoran Baru satellite town was very quick. The 730 ha land in Kebayoran was initially planned as a new airport, established to replace Kemayoran Airport whose location blocked the development of Batavia eastward. This plan was replaced with a plan for a satellite town for Batavia, the Kebajoran. The first idea for the satellite town was started in July 1948 and was immediately approved in September 1948. The new satellite town is located relatively close to Tanah Abang - Serpong railway line, enabling the transport of building construction material to the Kebajoran.
Following the approval of the plan, the colonial government began the land acquisition process for Kebayoran satellite town. On January 17, 1949, the land acquisition process for Kebayoran was completed. In February 1949, the first draft of the town's master plan was completed by Moh. Soesilo. Construction of the master plan followed immediately in March 1949, just a month later. Moh. Soesilo was an urban planner in the Centraal Planologisch Bureau and a student of Thomas Karsten, a renowned Dutch engineer who contributed to the urban planning and the development of architecture in colonial Indonesia. Soesilo designed the master plan for Kebayoran Baru and Pejompongan in 1948; these are the first urban center in the country to be designed by a native Indonesian.
The first laying of the stone was done on March 18, 1949. The first area to be designed is now located around Kebayoran station, on the east side of Grogol River. The construction was done by a specially-established Central Foundation for Reconstruction, whose office was established near the current Attorney General building on June 1, 1948. The development of Kebayoran Baru satellite town was completed in 1955. The satellite town was connected to the center of Jakarta via Thamrin and Sudirman, both constructions started in 1949 and was finally opened in 1953. Before the completion of these roads, car access to Kebayoran Baru was via Jalan Palmerah Utara and Jalan Palmerah Selatan.

Urban planning

Kebayoran Baru is designed following the principle of a garden city. Kebayoran Baru is a well-planned district, both in term of its urban planning and its infrastructure. Sudirman Avenue is the main road, which connects Kebayoran Baru to the city center in Central Jakarta. The southern quarter of the Semanggi Interchange is located in Kebayoran Baru.
The total planning area is 730 ha, with about 45% was allocated for the residential area, 16% for green space, and 14% for shops and other buildings. The remaining 25% of Kebayoran Baru area was allocated for roads.

City blocks of Kebayoran Baru

Kebayoran Baru is divided into several blocks from A to S. Today the block names of Kebayoran Baru has been largely forgotten, however some of the names linger in the name of the public facility within the urban block. Below is the list of Kebayoran Baru blocks and its landmarks.
Most buildings in Kebayoran Baru were designed following the principle of functionalism, that is making use of the latest building material and taking into consideration the principle of tropical design - to maximize natural lighting while minimizing the heat without the use of electricity. Post-war modernism style e.g. the so-called Yankee-type or Jengki style were popular in Kebayoran Baru, so called because of its heavy influence from the American post-war modernism. For example, middle-class houses in Kebayoran were designed with a square or rectangular layout, but the first floor is tilted forward to protect the facade of the lower level from the sun. Lower-level official houses in Kebayoran make use of front patio. Larger villas in Kebayoran were usually designed by well-known Indies architects at that time such as Job & Sprey and Liem Bwan Tjie. The current Kebayoran Baru district also includes some villages which is not part of the original plan. These additions are now located in Radio area, Gandaria Utara, and Cipete Utara.
Being a design older than 50 years, Kebayoran Baru is considered a cultural heritage according to Law no. D.IV-6099/d/33/1975. New modern international style developments in the area has been a threat to the historic tropical residential character of Kebayoran Baru.

Radio Kebajoran

To the southwest of the residential area of Kebayoran was the Radio Kebajoran, a radio broadcasting station located just to the west of Block A. The area of radio broadcasting station has never been fully developed, however the name lingers in the name of the streets Jalan Radio Dalam and Jalan Antene. Jalan KH. Ahmad Dahlan was formerly named Jalan Radio, the street that leads to the Radio Kebajoran complex. The entire area planned as Radio Kebajoran complex is now located in Gandaria Utara Administrative Village.

Residential district

Kebayoran Baru is one of the most affluent areas of Jakarta, where many wealthy citizens reside. Many prominent Indonesians live in the district, including Jusuf Kalla, Guruh Sukarnoputra, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, and Tomy Winata, among others. Kebayoran Baru, and the district of Menteng, is the most expensive residential districts in Indonesia, having very high land prices per square foot.
Although Kebayoran Baru, in the Sukarno era, was solely a residential area, the district now harbors many commercial ventures, is known for its lifestyle businesses. The southern part of the neighborhood is filled with large mansions with lots ranging from 500 square meters to 6000 square meters. The northern part of the city is dominated by luxury apartments and office buildings. Senayan is notable for its large concentration of businesses run by Korean expatriates in Indonesia, a trend which began as early as 1982.

List of important places