In the bustling Central Business District of Jakarta, design firm Benoy has delivered its first arts and culture centre, Ciputra Artpreneur. The development is also a first for Indonesia, establishing the only international-standard theatre in the country. As PRC learns, Ciputra Artpreneur might also be the most important contribution to Jakarta’s art scene in recent years with the scheme’s vision to raise awareness of Indonesia’s resident artists and bring creative entrepreneurship to the attention of the country.
Changing Indonesia’s commercial and cultural landscape
Jakarta is the political, economic and cultural centre of Southeast Asia’s largest economy. In a city with such influence and which continues to benefit from the rise in development sweeping the city, one might expect there to be an adequate offer to sustain the city’s designation as a cultural hub. However, what visitors and residents would have found in the past was a surprising gap in the facilities and venues to support the arts.
Ciputra Artprenuer has therefore been a welcome addition to this previously under-resourced sector. The scheme delivers 14,000m2of performance and art facilities which include a 1,200 seat theatre, flexible and permanent exhibition galleries, a museum and multifunctional rooms for artists and performers.
Uniquely, the scheme has been integrated within Ciputra World 1 Jakarta; a large-scale, commercial landmark which brings together Retail, Commercial Offices, Residences and a Raffles Hotel, in the heart of the city’s Golden Triangle. In the near future, the mega development will be made up of three major components with the neighbouring Ciputra Worlds 2 and 3 currently being planned. Once completed, the combined development will create a new epicentre for this booming district of Jakarta.
Developed by Ciputra Group, the scheme is the vision of founder and chairman Dr (HC) Ir. Ciputra. One of the most distinguished developers within Southeast Asia, Ciputra Group has made a name which has become synonymous with the betterment of Indonesia and its communities. Ir Ciputra’s personal dedication to education, art and encouraging entreprenuship in the country has not been swayed by his involvement in the commercial sector. The creation of Ciputra Artpreneur is a testament to this and the development has also created a new model for how to diversify the development of our cities in future.
“Ciputra Artpreneur is a shining example of how new and varied cultural experiences can transform wider commercial schemes into exciting ‘Places’ for the city. As designers within the commercial realm, we see the future of the industry as the creation of developments such as Ciputra World which are introducing art and culture in a significant way to innovate their mixed-use programmes,” explained Simon Bee, Global Design Director of Benoy.
Benoy was attracted to the opportunity to deliver its first arts centre and also to push further the agenda to answer the call for more diversified experiences for consumers. The global design firm delivered the scheme as Design Consultant and Interior Designer and worked closely with theatre consultant Philip Soden and engineering consultant, Beca Carter of New Zealand.
A theatre to put Jakarta on the map
Perhaps the highlight of the arts centre and also Benoy’s interior design is the state-of-the-art Ciputra Artpreneur Theatre. As the first international venue in Indonesia, its establishment has allowed Jakarta to cement a place on the global touring schedule of major performances and bring previously unseen shows to the country.
Conceived with ultimate flexibility in mind, the venue is capable of accommodating large productions from around the world; from opera to musicals, symphony and ballet. Within its first nine months of opening, the Theatre has already welcomed Disney’s award-winning Beauty and the Beast, the inaugural Indonesian Ballet Gala and the famous West End musical, The Sound of Music.
The venue’s oval shape was deliberately introduced to provide an optimal acoustic and visual experience within the proscenium style theatre. Each of the 1200 seats, in both the balcony and at stalls level, are positioned at perfect viewing angles to the stage.
With its striking geometric interior, the Theatre is brought to life by Benoy’s design of the faceted walls and ceiling detailing. The distinctive form was created with soft cell panels covered by stretch fabric and further accentuated with LED illuminated strips. The result isn’t just a captivating design statement but also a meticulously constructed interior to deliver the highest performance.
“Benoy worked with the theatre specialists to optimise the acoustic performance of the theatre. Overall, the faceted ceiling has actually played an important role in the acoustic design. Together with the integrated lighting, the design also manages to provide a stunning visual counterpoint to the organic nature of the interior,” said Eric Niemy, Senior Associate Director at Benoy.
Celebrating pioneering artists
The ‘organic nature’ of the interior design is perhaps that other very notable quality of Ciputra Artpreneur and behind this design was an inspiration close to the developer’s heart. Ciputra Group has a long affiliation with the arts and it was Ir. Ciputra’s personal relationship with pioneering Indonesian artist Hendra Gunawan which ignited the development of the scheme. As one of the largest collectors of the late impressionist’s paintings, Ir. Ciputra built a close relationship with the artist and made a personal promise that one day he would build a museum to house the works.
Ciputra Artpreneur has fulfilled this promise and Gunawan’s highly expressive style which plays on the movement and vibrant colours of Indonesian life became the starting point for Benoy’s Interior Design. Throughout the three-level arts centre, Gunawan’s artwork has been curated to create bold points of interest with murals gracing the walls and paintings accenting the interior design.
“One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of the design was interpreting the inspiration but the end result has ensured the venue is a truly integral part of Jakarta’s cultural landscape,” explains Eric Niemy.
As you enter the scheme it’s easy to see Benoy’s success at capturing Gunwan’s style. The curvilinear interiors and lighting seem to flow naturally and one can’t help but recognise the similarity of the fluidity which is captured in so many of Gunwan’s works.
The generous and airy interiors also take advantage of the views over Jakarta. A tall glass wall runs along one side of the gallery space offering glimpses over the city’s Golden Triangle. At each end of the gallery, a delicate spiral staircase rises to the Theatre above, perpetuating the graceful movement of the interiors.
Designed by Benoy, the Main Gallery features flexible interchanging walls allowing the space to accommodate major exhibitions or a series of smaller shows simultaneously. The adaptability of the space plays to the development’s goal of displaying a wide and changing calendar of local artists’ work in the world-class venue. Ultimately, the development will help artists to raise the value of their artwork and with that, the opportunity to generate a better living.
Ciputra Artpreneur opened its doors in late 2015 and has quickly risen as a must-visit destination in the capital thanks to the calibre of its design and programme. The development is Benoy’s first completed scheme in Indonesia
Project Details
Developer: Ciputra Group
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Size (GFA): 14,000m2
Size (Theatre GFA): 6,400m2
Design Consultant: Benoy
Interior Designer: Benoy
Theatre Consultant: Philip Soden, Australia
M&E Consultant: Beca Carter, New Zealand
