KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. State-owned Sarinah, the first shopping mall and skyscraper in Jakarta, will undergo its first major rejuvenation since it was built in 1967 to stay relevant with modern-day consumers. 

Three 41-story towers are to be developed in the area to complement the existing shopping center.

Sarinah president director GNP Sugiarta Yasa said on Friday that the new buildings would house premium restaurants and offices for meeting, conference and exhibition halls, besides displaying various high-end products. He said the old building would only see minor interior changes to preserve its originality. 

"The project will mark a transformation of Sarinah as an icon and window of Indonesia, where foreign and domestic customers can get Indonesia's high-quality creative products," he said, adding that state-owned developers PT Wijaya Karya and PT Pembangunannya Perumahan would break ground on the project in March. 

The construction work, he said, was expected to be completed in the middle of 2020. 

Construction of the Sarinah building, which is located on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta, began in 1963. Founding president Sukarno officiated the opening of the building as a retail center in 1967.

The store sells creative products like batik, woven fabric and handicraft from across the country. The building also hosts various food outlets.

Editor: Herlina Kartika Dewi