the sequis centre tower in jakarta by KPF breaks ground

the sequis centre tower in jakarta by KPF breaks ground
all images courtesy of kohn pedersen fox associates

in recent days the groundbreaking ceremony for the sequis centre tower by kohn pedersen fox associates (KPF) took place in jakarta. the tower will be indonesia’s first LEED platinum building and will be situated in the heart of the jakarta capital region adjacent to the existing gelora bung karno sports complex.

the design of the sequis centre tower is a reinterpretation of the typical jakarta office tower. as a response to jakarta’s conventional all-glass rectilinear office building, the project, in the spirit of the local banyan tree, ‘organically rises from the ground as a series of finely scaled elements, culminating in a richly detailed and shaded tower above’ said KPF design principal robert whitlock, AIA.

the tower is comprised of multiple programs that complement one another, as well as the surrounding community, including office space, executive zones, trading floors, boutique retail, restaurants, conference centers, heath facilities, and concealed parking that fully supports the project. in response to the diverse program, the building’s massing ‘recomposes an extruded tower into four bundled and deflected super-tubes that, in the spirit of the local landscape, emerge naturally from the site,‘ explains senior designer and KPF director jeffrey kenoff, AIA.  ‘these volumes generate unique office types, inherently increase the vertical presence of the tower, and create greater structural stability in an active seismic zone.’  at the top of the tower, the tubes vary in height to form multiple grand sky-gardens overlooking the city, while at the podium they extend outward to support larger office floors and increase pedestrian porosity through the site.

in contrast to the standard jakarta CBD model, in which traffic and parking govern pedestrian connectivity, the tower’s vehicular infrastructure is submerged and on-site traffic circulation is located below ground. this configuration frees up the ground plane for green area and pedestrian circulation where adjacent sites are linked by a densely landscaped pedestrian street, which also mends the seam between the new sequis centre tower and the existing sequis centre. adds kenoff, ‘the parking deck hovers above the public space, facilitating porosity and active program at several pedestrian levels.’ the hovering deck not only eliminates blank walls from pedestrian zones, it also increases building security through transparency and use—a significant challenge for an office building in jakarta. cantilevered over the pedestrian path at grade, the deck forms an outdoor public room shielded from the intense equatorial sun and seasonal rain. lastly, the roof of the deck connects to inner public spaces, forming an elevated park that expands the public, urban realm.

a gradation of shading fins and panels are arrayed across the tower’s curtain wall, which is optimized on each side to compensate for façade-specific solar radiation levels. high-efficiency systems and the use of locally-sourced and recycled materials reduce the amount of energy used and embedded in the tower. in addition, native vegetation will be used for the site landscaping and roof gardens, both of which are watered with storm water retention systems employed on site.

the sequis centre tower reimagines the project as a constituent of the urban traffic within the CBD. it strategically reunites the currently-fractured flow into a sinuous strip of pedestrian connectivity, supplements the community with a rich diversity of new program, and purposefully moves inaccessible uses away from the pedestrian experience.

project credits:

owner: PT prospero realty, jakarta, indonesia
design principal: robert whitlock, AIA
director/senior designer: jeffrey kenoff, AIA
team leaders: anthony kim, andy vann
project team: gary stluka, benjamin albury,  emily clark, ryan consbruck, robert graustein, james kehl, jessica martin, emily mcnally, ciara seymour, sarah smith, eleni vakalopoulos