The deepening rift

Mon, 09/08/2008 10:55 AM  |  Potpourri

Both the Wisma 46 and e'X buildings are groundbreaking, original, futuristic and experimental designs that are a far cry from strict modernist style.

The designs and facilities of these buildings have proven to be a remarkable success because they have managed to maintain a 90-100 percent occupancy rate.

Their popularity, however, cannot be enjoyed by every Jakarta resident. With high-level tenants and facilities, it is clear that Wisma 46, which claims to connect its tenants and visitors to the "cyber corridor of tomorrow", only caters to the upper- to middle-class sectors of Jakarta.

Entertainment X'nter is also clearly for the upper- to middle-class youth and young adults. For some of these young people, the mall has become a "hyperreal" escapist zone that transports them to a more "sophisticated" place.

"When I step into e'X, the congested and hectic Jakarta seems to melt away ...," said Donny, a 25-year-old engineer who graduated from a university in California, the U.S.

"I don't feel like I'm living in Jakarta when I enter e'X. I feel like I'm somewhere else more sophisticated, like America or Australia."

The price of sophistication, however, is high. A blended iced tea drink with tapioca pearls cost between Rp 15,000 and 30,000, easily several times higher than drinks sold by street vendors.

Does this preliminary examination of Wisma 46 and e'X mean that postmodern urban structures only strengthen the deepening rift between the social stratas of Jakarta? Are architectural structures of "tomorrow" only accessible to the "haves"?

The existence of these buildings seems to enforce the implicit code of "self-censorship" within Jakarta's urban population.

Those who do not have the monetary capabilities to rent offices at Wisma 46 or purchase items and/or food and beverage at e'X will not venture into these buildings.

However, it is not possible to generalize that all postmodern urban structures in Jakarta have this effect on Jakarta's urban society.

More in-depth research on postmodern architecture and its users needs to be implemented to determine the significance of Jakarta's increasingly globalized, cosmopolitan environment and its impact on architectural design and urban lifestyle of its residents. -- Aimee Dawis

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