- Address: Jl. Gedung Kesenian No.1, Ps. Baru, Sawah Besar, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10710, Indonesia
- Phone: +62 21 3441892
- Foundation date: December 7, 1821
In the capital of Indonesia is an ancient structure, where the House of Art is located (Gedung Kesenian Jakarta). Locals call it the "Teatr Veltevreden" (Schouwburg Weltevreden). It is a concert hall where various events take place.
History of creation
This landmark was built in the colonial period by order of the governor of that time - Herman Dundels. The main architect was Stamford Raffles. He is famous for his principled position, which is to study and preserve the local culture. Then Jakarta was called Batavia.
In 1814 near Waterloo (modern name Lapangan Banteng) a simple bamboo theater was built. It began to be called the Military Place (Venue). The building was built by British soldiers, the total number of which exceeded 250,000. Worked such an institution only 4 years, and visited it mainly British military.
In 1820, the external state of the theater began to deteriorate, so we decided to replace its foundation with a stronger one. The basis for the design was the building, built by Schulze (the building of the Society of Harmony). The contractor in the project was Li Atihe. For the construction of a new House of Arts, the material was taken in the old part of Batavia. This was done in order to preserve the historical design of the city. It took 14 months to build the landmark.
General information about the House of Arts
The modern building is built in neoclassical style and was named the House of Comedy. The grand opening was planned to be completed in October 1821, but due to the cholera epidemic the event took place in 1821 on December 7. The first performance, shown in the walls of the theater - "Othello" by William Shakespeare.
In the fifties of the XIX century, the House of Art developed slowly, as the city lacked opera singers (especially women), and the orchestra was short-staffed for a long time. In 1848, the institution took under its care the state. After 63 years, the administration became the administration of Jakarta.
Initially, lighting inside was created with the help of candles, kerosene and gas lamps. In 1882, electricity was used for the first time here. The House of Art in different years was used for various purposes. The most famous of them are:
- 1926 - the building housed the local Youth Alliance;
- 1942-1944 - the building was used by the Japanese as its military headquarters;
- Since 1945, there have been meetings of young artists (El-Hakim, Rosikhin Anvar, etc.);
- August 1945 - the session of the first president of Indonesia , Sukarno, was held in the House of Art;
- 1951 - the institution was used as a faculty of economics and law;
- 1957-1961 - there was the Indonesian National Theater Academy.
In 1984, the administration of Jakarta passed a law on the return of the structure to its original state. The building was reconstructed and renamed.
House of Art today
The attraction consists of several rooms. Visitors are available such premises:
- The open hall - its length is 24 m, and the width is 17.5 m;
- the main concert hall - accommodates up to 475 people;
- foyer;
- lobby.
In the construction of excellent acoustics. Performances here take place almost every week. Visitors will be able to visit poetry and music concerts, plays and exhibitions, dramas and comedies. On the stage of the House of Arts perform both local artists, so foreign.
How to get there?
The institution is located near the Istiklal Mosque and Lapangan Banteng Park. From the center of Jakarta, you can get here by road Jl. Cempaka Putih Raya and Jl. Letjend Suprapto or Jl. Letjend Suprapto. The distance is about 6 km. Also buses №№ 2, 2В, 5, 7А go here. The stop is called Pasar Cempaka Putih.