"For Jakarta Layer_02, AND is better than OR: formal and informal; real and utopia; discontinuity and coherence; ended and endless.
The one of them contemporary with the another" (Luca Silenzi - Spacelab Architects, entry report, april 2009) In April 2009 we submitted a project to the international ideas competition “GotongRoyong City: Envisioning the Future of Jakarta“, organized by the “International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam” (IABR) 2009 and Rotterdam Berlage Institute, in collaboration with Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia (Indonesian Institute of Architects Jakarta Chapter) and University of Edimburgh, Department of Architecture.
‘Gotong Royong’ is usually translated into English as ‘reciprocity’
or ‘mutual assistance’. In Indonesia the term is applied across
political, social, economic and cultural spheres. The aim of this
competition was to “focus the possibilities of this rich term onto
urban and architectural matters, [...] to encourage architects and
urban designers to research, dream, and speculate about Jakarta and its
future. If we can liberate ourselves from petty politics and
bureaucratic planning, what would a Gotong Royong Jakarta be like?”
(from the competition brief). Unfortunately, we weren’t in the winner podium…
However, here is our – provocative? – stuff, so far by “petty politics
and bureaucratic planning”, approaching a bit much generic theme with a
spongy tribute to the 70’s Superstudio’s “Monumento Continuo”. Enjoy. --------------------------------------------------------Jakarta, 2009
“Greater Jakarta”: estimated last year at 25milion people (2nd largest urban area in the world).
Visitors/city-users increase the congestion: severe traffic jams and overcrowdings ocurring almost every day.
40% of Jakarta is below sea level: air pollution, waste management,
drinking water shortage, flooding (due to clogged sewage
pipes/waterways, savage urbanization and deforestation).
Major buildings, highrises, services and residual public space are
occasional and poorly connected, separated by endless traffic times.
Seemingly, no solution.
The 2nd Chance: Jakarta Layer_02
Imagine a new, physical urban level slightly wrapping the traditional
city: a sort of foamy “Monumento Continuo” finally representing the
connective tissue able to create smart relationships between the major
existing urban issues.
A porous mega-structure, served with a new urban transport system
(TransJakarta 2.0?), which integrates public spaces, hanging gardens,
pedestrian promenades, commercial/residential/office functions, inner
energy/water accumulators. A sample of what Jakarta aims to become.Just can’t get enough
Trying to envision the future of Jakarta for this competition, our
attention was to choice carefully the object of speculation. We
intended this brief as an opportunity: finally liberated “from petty
politics and bureaucratic planning”, we tried to make an happy
revolution to the urban scale, and beyond.
“Gotong Royong” as a continuous monument to the coexistence.
Thus, as the problems of Jakarta are alike troubles for the resting 70%
of similar megalopolis, the site of intervention can be paradoxically
anywhere. This project for Jakarta is admittedly a sample of an Utopia.
A sample of 2,500×500m over Jalan Sudirman-Thamrin and Jalan Mohammad
Husni Thamrin.
The High-life
Jakarta Layer_02 integrates public infrastructure, public spaces,
commercial, touristic, leisure and work functions, energy and water
accumulation/production facilities.
The super-structure is 8m thick, and contains in depth one- or
two-storied spaces. Tridimensional macro-holes, accurately positioned
to respect settled distances from existing buildings and public spaces
(diameters ranging by 75m to 350m), are designed to have a crucial
contribution to the form-factor resistance. Smaller voids remain
between the structure of the space-grid, to reduce weights.
Special designed surfaces integrate solar panels to capture the sun
irradiation, so as aeolian generators taking advantage of the higher
winds, both connected with a co-generation system inside the structure.
In the wet season, the abundant rain is captured in special multi-stage
osmotic filtered tanks, and so given back to public as sanitary water.

The super-slab is shored up at the height of 230fts (70m) by mixed
vertical supports, such as structural reticular pylons or entire
reinforced new buildings, containing lift systems and stairs to reach
the Layer_02 level, apart from water pipes, drainings, electrical and
data lines . All the support structural system is arranged at the
ground level in urban plots still free of buildings or siding main
streets, on public property spaces.
Main accesses to the Layer_02 are arranged near huge new parkings and
busway stations, directly connected with the parallel and efficient
transport system above (monorail/maglev).
Layer_02 is theorically endless, upgradeable in all directions and
with more or less concentration of covered surface. The lymph of the
Layer is the seamless network of public spaces and transport, serving a
corollary of public and private facilities.
To test it, we choose the condition 2 (im)mobility/”reshuffle”, pulling
down a sample of the Layer_02 measuring 2.500m x 500m (1.250.000m2),
oriented N-S over the joint between Jalan Sudirman-Thamrin and Jalan
Mohammad Husni Thamrin. Pratically, a condition 2, remixed on the north
side (congestion+access to the urban nucleus).
“And” is better than “Or”
What is Coexistence in Jakarta Layer_02? What we intended for Gotong Royong in this project?
Recipro-City: a Jakarta over Jakarta which not create a negation, a
destruction, or – at worst – further congestion of the city we know
today. Jakarta for us is Layer_02 and the original ground layer.
Simply, the upper one supports the today-Jakarta, and can solve severe
problems otherwise impossible to approach.
In other words: formal and informal; real and utopia; discontinuity and coherence; ended and endless.
The one of them contemporary with the another.
©2009 Spacelab Architects
Project: Luca Silenzi
Project team: Luca Silenzi, Zoè Chantall Monterubbiano, Roberto Sargo, Giampiero Luzi