Reviving Medan as “Parijs van Sumatra”

KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA

Urban communities enjoy the atmosphere at the Medan Post Office, which is now the Pos Bloc hawker center, in Medan, North Sumatra, Friday (3/2/2023). Pos Bloc is a public space among the ever-growing concrete jungle at the heart of Medan City.

Medan’s downtown area, with its several historical sites, has been revitalized, with public spaces from Kesawan to Merdeka Square lifted to lure in more visitors. "Parijs van Sumatra" is gradually reviving its allure.

Between the concrete buildings of Medan, North Sumatra, newly revitalized public spaces seem have become an ubiquitous sight. There, people find a sense of convenience with amenities ready to pamper them, from coffee shops and food vendors, to scooter and electric bike tours. The historic post office is being turned into a culinary center.

The Merdeka Square and the Kesawan area, with tall buildings in the backdrop, thronged with urbanites as night approached on Saturday (4/2/2023). They were simply having fun, taking time to relax and putting their daily routines behind them.

Young people drove around on electric scooters at the Kesawan area, next to a section of road of Merdeka Square where revitalization work was still underway. Some visitors passed the time on benches along the sidewalks of Merdeka Square. Others took selfies against the facade of the old buildings.

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On Jl. Pulau Pinang on the south side of the square, a barista was busy brewing coffee inside a van-turned-vendor. The customers were engrossed in conversation while sipping coffee.

Among them was Syafrizal Efendy, 30, who works in the marketing. He came along with his friends and relatives. After finishing his coffee, he jumped on a rented electric scooter. Wearing a helmet and vest with a reflective light, he drove through the Kesawan area.

“Almost every Saturday night, my friends and I hang out in Kesawan because the urban atmosphere is nice and lively. My house is quite a distance away, but this place is worth [the journey] to visit,” he said. He lives in Medan Marelan.

This street cafe is quite appealing to young people because of its friendly prices and the city's comfortable atmosphere.

Zein Assegaf, 24, immersed in his work the mobile coffee shop, deftly served customers. He said he had been docking at the square for almost four years. His minibus coffee shop Kawanua sells various types of drinks and snacks and he has recruited some of his friends to assist in the business. “This street cafe is quite appealing to young people because of its friendly prices and the city's comfortable atmosphere. Order a glass of sanger [Acehnese milk coffee] and you can hang out until midnight," said Zein, breaking into laughter.

Most of his customers are college and senior high school students with some young company employees. During the weekends and holidays, many visitors also come from out of town. Zein said the Medan mayoral administration had facilitated his business. “The government has been quite supportive of MSMEs [micro, small, medium enterprises]," he said, adding that applying for a business permit had also been facilitated by eased bureaucracy.

KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA

People enjoy the evening atmosphere in the Merdeka and Kesawan Square areas in Medan, North Sumatra, Friday (3/2/2023). This area is a public space among the tall buildings that continue to grow in the core of Medan City.

Cosmopolitan

Kesawan and Merdeka Square used to be a cosmopolitan area in the city when Medan was still part of the Dutch East Indies in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Now the area has been revitalized, residents can experience the allure of the city’s past while enjoying scooters, electric bike rides or strolling. Visitors can retrace the past in several historic sites, such as the London Sumatra Building, the Warenhuis Building, the legendary Apek Coffee Shop, which has been around since 1923 and Tjong A Fie House.

People can also take a walk around the Merdeka Square. The city’s icon since 1880 with its attractive landscape, the square is now more appealing, even though the concept of its revitalization has sparked debate. A civil society coalition has criticized the revitalization project for what it sees as ignoring the preservation of the historical values. It also says in establishing a public space, the local administration has failed to address the interests of people of all walks of life.

On the north side of the Merdeka Square, the cultural heritage site of the Medan Post Office has created a space called Pos Bloc, where visitors can find diverse variety of food, or can go to simply hang around. While the function has been expanded, the building’s architecture is kept intact, with one room maintained to serve postal activity. There is a room to display old postal paraphernalia.

“I have brought my family to Pos Bloc several times. I want my children to be aware about the post office building with its historical value. This is an alternative place for families to visit in Medan other than mall," Irawan, 35, a Medan resident, said.

Tourist destinations

City cultural heritage expert Rita Margaretha Setianingsih said the newly revitalized public spaces around the historical sites in Merdeka Square and Kesawan had become a tourism attraction for urban communities as well as those from outside the city.

She said the area had first been built by the Dutch East Indies government, aligning it with the European urban development concept. She added the urban development expanded with the emergence of settlements, business centers and entertainment venues in line with the growing plantation industry in Sumatra. Medan was now the melting pot of hustle bustle with those from other regions, other countries mingling with local residents.

Also read: Liberating Medan Merdeka Square

The Merdeka Square has since long an integrated area with the city hall, post office, train station, banking office, hotels and commercial centers in the Kesawan area, many hailing the city as “Parijs van Sumatra”.

Rita gave her appreciation to the revitalization of public spaces and emergence of culinary centers amidst the city’s concrete jungle. The Pos Bloc culinary center is expected to serve local specialties of North Sumatra at affordable prices.

As the night wore on, red lanterns shone dimly above Kesawan as the city’s dwellers from diverse social background celebrated Cap Go Meh (15 days after Lunar New Year). The cosmopolitan city seemed to be sending out a message that people should foster diversity in the midst of robust development.

This article was translated by Musthofid.