Our Commitment and Dedication

Documentation Centre of Architecture (PDA) is an independent institution, serving the public with good information through documentation and research on various issues regarding the architecture of Indonesia in general and heritage buildings and areas in particular. Founded in 2002, PDA is committed to collect, store and manage a variety of architectural records, research and documents from various buildings and areas of cultural heritage. In its activities conducted focus PDA documentation, research, inventory, publications and guides historic architectural conservation in Indonesia. In addition to the PDA also conducted training and education for students in different directions in order to have the concern and understanding of conservation.

PDA believes the recording and study of cultural heritage buildings should be available prior to building preservation activities in any form, so the PDA will be a collection of databases and national consulting center, accessible to the public of the various layers such as academics, students, researchers, building owners, architects and other institutions primarily involved in the field of preservation of heritage buildings and areas. Until now the PDA has been working with various institutions including government, educational institutions and conservation organizations throughout Indonesia as well as with various international institutions.

Our motto is:
"The key elements should be known and respected. Let's start with a good record. "

Project Background

1. Legal aspects consideration

Indonesia has a wealth of cultural heritage in the built environment in which the field of traditional buildings and urban architecture is of a great interest for many segments of the society. A substantial part of it, is the legacy of urban architecture of the Ducth colonial era stretching the period between the early decades of the 17th to the middle of 20th century and about which documentation and a vast data of special interest for scientific purposes are still presumed to be found in the Netherlands.

As cities or towns artifacts, selected historic building or architecture created during the Dutch period in Indonesia, as well as those building of the later or newer periods after Indonesia Independence, are theoretically still protected under a law which originated to the Monument Ordonance of 1931, and revised to become the current National Heritage Law, which is Law No. 5-1992; and its various By-Laws issued between 1993 to 1998.

Recently, in connection with the promulgation of the new Law on Local Government Autonomous Function (Law No. 22 1999), greater decision on certain issue of cultural heritage such as the protection, conservation and preservation (including preservation by records) are to be taken on the level of Local Authorities.

Socializing and implementation of those Laws mentioned above, need among other things technical guidelines or consultancy service. Although the main task will be at the hands of governmental formal channels, public participation to support government actions are in great need and very desirable.

2. Practical and technical consideration

Being aware of above mentioned condition and knowing that efforts in this field by government agencies, universities, and heritage societies are being done pragmatically and with different objectives, a networking has to be initiated to promote further the benefit of information. In this connection, IAI and BNA has come to a consensus as confirmed by a Letter of Intent agreed in 1988 between the two professional associations, to appreciate the meaning of the Dutch architectural legacy in the context of the Indonesian national heritage. Under above-mentioned LOI, several scientific meetings, seminars and workshop have been organized by IAI and BNA in several cities in Indonesia between 1989-1999. Evaluating the success of those ventures, IAI and BNA have the conviction that the founding of a center to render services in the documentation and research and backed up by concerned stakeholders will benefit the society en large, as well as the world of scholars and the professionals in particular.

It was visioned that BNA will become the co-founder of the Indonesian Architecture Documentation and research center (IA-DRC), and in which BNA may collaborate with NAI (Nederlandse Architectuur Instituut) or other institutes in the Netherlands interested to support IA-DRC’s initial activities.