Context

Kebayoran Baru, one of Jakarta’s Cultural Heritage Areas, was the first satellite city of Jakarta.  Located 4.5 KM South of Jakarta, it was designed in 1948 by the first Indonesian city planner, Soesilo.  The area is well known for its Little Tokyo District. 

CSW, formerly known as Centrale Stichting Wederopbouw, is one of the intersections located in Kebayoran Baru. When Soesilo planned for Kebayoran Baru, CSW Intersection originally had a roundabout. The roundabout was then responded by Architect Soejoedi in his design of the ASEAN Secretariat building, which is now one of Indonesia’s Modern Architecture Heritage Buildings.  Sadly, the roundabout is no longer present, the ASEAN secretariat building lost what it responded in the first place.

The Problem

At the moment, CSW has become an interchange, it is passed by BRT line (Transjakarta) corridor XIII (west-east flyover busway) and an MRT line (north-south railway).  Both infrastructures were completed at round the same period. However, the existing CSW Transjakarta bus shelter, which is located at 23 meters above the street level, only has a stair access and no direct connection with the ASEAN MRT station located less than 100 meters north. Because of this massive development during the last decade and the loss of its roundabout, the historic intersection had lost its identity. 

The Solution

In 2019 the Jakarta government held a competition to gather solutions from architects and urban designers to improve this area aesthetically and functionally. This design had been chosen as the winner.

The design aim was to recreate the lost roundabout, elevate it and made it a pedestrian access.  Its circular form also serves as a unifying symbol. The circle is then pulled to 3 directions to create programs and provide connections to the surrounding BRT and MRT lines.  The façade was a modern interpretation of the ASEAN Secretariat.  This was done to pay homage to the heritage building.   

Inspired by the concept of the ASEAN Secretariat and the original city plan of Kebayoran Baru, this design reintroduces ‘CSW’ as “Cakra Selaras Wahana.”   “Cakra” – circular shape pedestrian bridge (represent the ‘lost’ roundabout in the historical city plan); “Selaras” - harmonious with the surrounding; and “Wahana” - transit space for connecting the BRT and MRT users.  This intermodal building is Indonesia’s first elevated public transportation hub, and it has become a new icon for the capital city of Indonesia and a milestone towards more inclusive architecture in the country.