At the Gedung Sate Museum, located in the Gedung Sate provincial building of Bandung, West Java, visitors can fly around the building in a hot air balloon or participate in the building’s construction through VR and AR – fun ways to learn about the building’s history.
By
DEDI MUHTADI
·5 minutes read
Bandung has a museum that offers virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) facilities. At the Gedung Sate Museum, located in the Gedung Sate provincial building of Bandung, West Java, visitors can fly around the building in a hot air balloon or participate in the building’s construction through VR and AR – fun ways to learn about the building’s history.
If the Gedung Sate was built according to its original design, it might have been comparable to the extravagance of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Unfortunately, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) government was only able to complete the 2.7 hectares in the first construction phase of its administrative complex in 1924, due to financial difficulties.
Thanks to the hot air balloon ride in Gedung Sate Museum’s VR room, today’s visitors are able to view all 27 hectares of the Gedung Sate’s originally conceived glory as Gouvernements Bedrijven (company government), particularly the side that faces Mount Tangkubanparahu.
Dutch architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856-1934) said that Gedung Sate was a masterpiece that combined eastern and western architectural styles. The building, which now houses the West Java provincial administration, features the diverse cultures of various regions.
Its foundation uses andesite, similar to the temples in East Java and Central Java. European ornaments adorn almost all the building’s pillars and alcoves, while its roof combines Indonesian shingles and steel frames. Gedung Sate was the first large building in the Dutch Indies to be constructed with a steel frame.
The ground floor depends on natural lighting, with sunlight filtering through its prism glass ceiling. Visitors can find out more about its unique architecture through the short films in the museum’s audiovisual (AV) room.
The VR and AV are just two of the innovative facilities at the Gedung Sate Museum. Museum educator Pepen S Sasmita said on Wednesday (29/8/2018) that the innovations highlighted the building’s beautiful architecture and its history.
Despite the focus on history, information is provided to visitors in an interactive manner using digital technology. Features like touchscreens for graphical information raises the museum’s attractiveness.
Futuristic
The Gedung Sate Museum was built during the tenure of Ahmad Heryawan, who served as West Java governor from 2013 to 2018.
Along with then-deputy governor Deddy Mizwar, in December 2017 Ahmad inaugurated the museum, which was built with a budget of Rp 11.5 billion (US$774,380.71). Through innovative means, the Gedung Sate Museum displays information on its history using interactive digital technology.
For example, visitors can try out the VR headsets that will make them feel as though they are in a hot air balloon above the Gedung Sate. Another room allows visitors to try their hand at building the structure through an AR simulation.
It also offers detailed exhibits on the design of the building’s pillars, sills, staircases and external and internal alcoves. One section of the building’s wall has been left exposed so visitors can view the structure and materials.
Generally, visitors are amazed by the museum’s innovations. A visiting group of government employees was surprised to learn that no bricks were used in the Gedung Sate’s construction, only stone and sand.
“So, it’s like this: Using only rocks and sand, if it’s built properly without any corruption in the budget, a building can survive this long,” museum tour guide Hary Juliman said, citing a visitor.
Since it opened in December 2017, the museum has been popular among visitors, especially students. In its first week, the museum received 3,600 visitors of all backgrounds and ages.
The 500-square-meter museum has gained a widely positive public response. The museum, located in the east wing in the basement of the Gedung Sate, once received 1,200 visitors in a day.
“Most of them are amazed, as they deem the museum to offer something different. They were amazed by its cleanliness, comfort and advanced technological features, despite it being only 500 square meters,” said Hary.
Small children especially love the AV and AR rooms. Some refuse to leave, and their parents sometimes have to make an extra effort to get them to go on to the next rooms. This was unexpected, as the museum was not designed for children.
Continued innovation
The museum management board, which falls under the West Java administration’s public relations division, said that it would keep innovating to attract visitors. For instance, during this year’s Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 17, the museum held a treasure hunt for elementary school children modeled on The Amazing Race reality game show.
West Java spokesperson Azis Zulficar said the race aimed to build awareness on local history among young people in a fun way.
“Gedung Sate is a major part of the republic’s history. It seems appropriate to spread information on the building’s history through innovative ways like a race,” he said on Friday (17/8/2018).
Visiting Gedung Sate on Aug. 17 was like entering a time machine and emerging in 1945. Indonesian freedom fighters and Dutch and Japanese Military soldiers from history were seen around the building. But they were not fighting for their lives; instead, they were chatting and laughing amongst themselves.
This was part of a cosplay competition the museum had held as part of The Amazing Race competition. The goal was to recreate the atmosphere of the Independence Movement. Several local organizations were involved in the historical re-creation, including the Military Jeep Community, a historical bicycle community, the Purna Prakarya Muda Indonesia, Kofaba, the Community of the 1945 Bandung Territory Forum and several food trucks.
Erik, 38, from the Bandung Military Jeep Community, said he hoped such events would attract young people to learn about history. He believed the event was educational, especially for children.
“Through the vehicles formerly used in the military, children can learn about history. It could be said that [the vehicles] were [alive]. Hopefully, children’s sense of patriotism will blossom,” he said.