Between The Demolition Of The GBB Building And The Memory In It

Graha Bhakti Budaya in the Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) area which is currently being renovated. (Diah Ayu Wardhani / VOI)

JAKARTA - The night sky above Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), for Januarizal, it feels unusual. From a coffee shop in the right corner of the TIM area, Cikini, Central Jakarta, his gaze is fixated on the Graha Bhakti Budaya (GBB) building.

Ical, Januarizal's nickname, was unable to approach GBB for a while. This is because the performance building is being demolished for the TIM area revitalization project. Now, access to the entire left side of the TIM area, including the GBB in it, is closed because of a contractor construction project.

In fact, Ical agreed with the restoration of the GBB, which is said to be more magnificent and the facilities are increasingly modern. However, the sadness cannot be resisted every time you see the white building "hit" by the contractor's heavy equipment.

The pieces of the building that were torn apart also shed memories in Ical's life. Given, GBB is the second home for artists who are active in the arts in the TIM.

Revitalizing Taman Ismail Marzuki. (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

Ical said that he has been working in the arts in TIM since 1978. Starting from the Children's Theater Festival, the Youth Theater Festival, to the Jakarta Theater Festival held at GBB, he has struggled.

Ical also often participates in various poetry and short story reading competitions and participates in poetry reading events of poets, such as Taufik Ismail, Slamet Sukirnanto, Eka Budianta and Leon Agusta.

"TIM is also a place for me to practice theater and a place to prepare several literary activities with other Jakarta poets. I have had a monthly literary event since 2016 entitled Taman Sastra Cikini," said Ical during a conversation with VOI, Friday, February 7.

In addition, GBB is a learning platform, where this 55-year-old man can watch theater and orchestral performances, both national and international.

For Ical, there is always a reason to visit TIM, even though there are no events or performances. From his residence in the Lenteng Agung area, South Jakarta, Ical did not hesitate to come to TIM to just sit in the GBB court and chat with other artists.

"Sometimes, from just small talk, it can produce a work as well. Memories of GBB are hard to erode even though the building has now been destroyed. Hopefully, it will be replaced by a building that is even better than GBB," explained Ical.

Losing is not only felt by artists like Ical. When he learned that the GBB was torn down, a private employee named Zae Ahmad suddenly recalled how the performance building helped him dive into the world of acting that he had been doing since college.

Zae often watches a number of performances, both independent performances and theater festival events. In addition, he often sits in front of the building, just watching a group of theater members practice drama on the right side of the GBB hallway, or practice modern dance on his left.

GBB design. (Photo: Jakpro)

"It's a bit sad to see a big stage like that being demolished. But, I don't reject the revitalization of GBB. Because if you look at the building model, it's been a long time and it needs updating," said Zae.

It's just that, when GBB has been established with a more modern building and all facility updates, Zae is worried that the building manager will implement a tighter security system.

"What I am afraid of is that there is a possibility that the security will be excessive. Instead of fearing that the facilities will be damaged, the manager will prohibit TIM visitors from using the GBB hallway to just practice," he said.

For information, the progress of the TIM revitalization has entered into the second phase of development, namely the revitalization of the Graha Bakti Budaya (GBB) building, which has begun demolition.

Heavy equipment while working on the TIM revitalization project. (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

The GBB building will be rebuilt with a modern and minimalist design. If previously the audience capacity was only 800 seats, the new GBB building will have an additional 2,500 seats.

"All facilities and infrastructure to support the needs of performing arts and theater will be increased to an international scale. The convenience of the audience at the GBB theater is also one of the aspects that will be improved," said the Communications Manager for the Revitalization of Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) Yeni Kurnaen when contacted by VOI. .

Meanwhile, the construction of phase 1 which started earlier is still ongoing. The construction includes a parking building, the relocation of the Amir Hamzah Mosque, the library building, the HB literary documentation center. Jassin, public hallways, art galleries, dining areas, retail stalls and art guesthouses.