Balai Sarbini (

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

for "Sarbini Hall") is a dome-roofed auditorium and concert hall located in central

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. The building was enveloped by the comprehensive shopping mall,

Lippo Mall Nusantara Lippo Mall Nusantara (LMN) (formerly known as the Plaza Semanggi (Plangi)) is a commercial complex located adjacent with the Semanggi Interchange in South Jakarta, Indonesia. It includes the 8-floor shopping mall, an auditorium named Balai Sarbin ...

(formerly The Plaza Semanggi).

History

Balai Sarbini and the adjacent Gedung Veteran (Veteran's Building), also known as the Graha Purna Yudha tower, were built by President

Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...

in 1965 for the

Veterans’ Legion of Indonesia The Veterans' Legion of Indonesia (), established on 1 January 1957, is the national ex-service organisation of Indonesia, serving men and women veterans and veterans' families who previously served in the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It is gov ...

(LVRI) that was established by Sukarno in 1957 to look after the interests of veterans who had fought against foreign aggression to maintain Indonesia's independence. This initially meant for those who were involved in the 1945-1949 guerilla war against the Netherlands, although later also included the campaign for

Irian Jaya New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Austral ...

(1961-1963) and the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (1963-1966). President Sukarno laid the first stone for Balai Sarbini and Gedung Veteran on January 6, 1965. Funding shortages delayed the project until 1973 when it was opened by President

Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...

on March 11, 1973. The architect of the building was Ir. Moerdoko. The name Sarbini was named after Lieutenant General Sarbini (1914-1977) who was in charge of the Ministry of Veteran Affairs and head of the LVRI when the original building project began. In 2000, after revitalization phase which does not change the structure and the condition of the building, Balai Sarbini appears with “new face”. It is not only historic monumental building but also the most representative place in Jakarta to hold cultural activities. Furthermore, it can also generate revenues for Indonesia. To enhance its performance as a center for cultural activities, the management of Balai Sarbini invited audio consultants to upgrade the acoustic system inside the Main Hall. On February 23, 2004, President

Megawati Soekarnoputri Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri (; born 23 January 1947) is an Indonesian politician who served as the fifth president of Indonesia from 2001 to 2004 and the eighth vice president under President Abdurrahman Wahid from 1999 to 2001. ...

signed a plaque commemorating inauguration of the new Balai Sarbini.

References

Cited works

*{{cite book , last=Merrillees , first=Scott , date=2015 , title=Jakarta: Portraits of a Capital 1950-1980 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=akLWjgEACAAJ&q=JAKARTA:+Portraits+of+a+Capital+1950-1980 , location=Jakarta , publisher=Equinox Publishing , isbn=9786028397308 Concert halls in Indonesia Buildings and structures in Jakarta Music venues completed in 1965 Tourist attractions in Jakarta South Jakarta