The new Pullman Central Park in Jakarta is rapidly turning into a icon for design and art in the Indonesian capital thanks to its striking layout and one of Jakarta’s most comprehensive collection of contemporary art.
JAKARTA- Should contemporary hotels be all the same? Some people –real estate investors or architects- might think so. To be “contemporary” for many hoteliers is just being minimalist in the design, having a sky bar and a trendy restaurant. But at the new Pullman Central Park in Jakarta, the investors of the property have also looked for a different experience. Just to surprise guests and visitors.
“Some of our public spaces such as the Spa and Fitness lounge within the meeting area are turning so iconic that it has turned into a favourite motive for the fashion industry or just people ”, tells Aido P. Situmorang, Director of Sales and Distribution. The “Cool” painting, a celebration of the former LOVE sculpture of Robert Indiana in Philadelphia is probably among the most seen piece of art in local magazines!
The 317-room Pullman Central Park is located at Podomoro City, one of the newest shopping malls of the Indonesian capital, just on the edge of the tollway going to the airport. The mall is one of the most popular and the hotel is gaining its reputation as the coolest to be seen in Jakarta.
In less than a year time, the Pullman Jakarta Central Park has been distinguished by numerous awards. It was named the Best Business Hotel in Indonesia by Hospitality Investment World 2013, the Best New Hotel Construction and Design for Indonesia at the Asia-Pacific International Hotel Awards 2012-2013, and received the Platinum Winner of the prestigious A’ Design Award in the Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design Category in 2012-2013 period.
The Pullman Central Park is probably one of the best places in Jakarta to admire and live within contemporary art. The art concept of the hotel was effectively to evocate the world of Pop Art. The result is more than a success. Giant portraits of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe or Jimmy Hendricks greet visitors while skipping babies spread all around the lobby as holograms and sculptures. In the lobby a climbing man evocates a figure from a cartoon like a shadow of Spiderman. Even more business-oriented areas such as meeting rooms reflect the hotel ambition to provide a museum feeling to its guests. Changing cinetic colours on the ceiling or Pop Art portraits decorate the meeting spaces. Open lounges invite visitors to chill out or just admire pieces of arts. Public spaces have been designed to shape social life at the hotel. “Public spaces invite to socialize with neighbours. Especially as art can be also challenging”, adds Aido Situmorang.
Challenging might be for some visitors these sculptures of female legs. Sexy, strange, even unusual? Probably the sculptures are all of that and even more. It proves at least one thing: Jakarta is more daring than outsiders might think of the Indonesian the capital, which is certainly anything but conservative!
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
