Cikini Swimming Pool
The Cikini Swimming Pool, now incorporated into the Ibis Budget Cikini Hotel, was originally known as Zwembad Tjikini. The pool was designed in 1924 by the architect Ir. F.J.L. Ghijsels (1882–1947), who was born in Tulungagung, East Java. Ghijsels was one of the most prominent architects of the Dutch East Indies, leaving behind an impressive architectural legacy in Jakarta. His notable works include St. Joseph's Church (now St. Joseph Church, Jatinegara), Batavia's Benedenstad Railway Station (now Jakarta Kota Station), the legendary Hotel des Indes, one of Jakarta's most luxurious hotels until the 1960s, as well as the buildings now occupied by Bappenas (the National Development Planning Agency) and the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, among many others that may no longer survive.
Ghijsels received widespread recognition at an architectural exhibition held at the Bataviasche Kunstkring in December 1925, where he was celebrated as an exceptionally talented architect. His work was praised for its modernity, grandeur, clarity, and originality, reflecting a confident architectural language that distinguished him from his contemporaries.
Officially opened around 1925, Zwembad Tjikini formed part of the recreational and health facilities developed to support the emerging elite residential district of Menteng. During the colonial era, the swimming pool frequently hosted inter-school swimming competitions and quickly became one of Batavia's most popular public leisure spaces.
At the time of its opening, the pool was accessible to people of all ethnic backgrounds and social classes, including Indigenous Indonesians. As a result, Zwembad Tjikini initially became a rare social space where people from different races, ethnicities, and classes shared the same recreational environment. This diversity, however, also generated racial tensions.
As increasing numbers of city residents used the pool, the management—who were predominantly European—claimed that the water had become dirty. They subsequently prohibited Indigenous Indonesians from using the facility, reserving Zwembad Tjikini exclusively for Europeans, particularly the Dutch. The swimming pool thus became another visible manifestation of racial segregation under colonial rule.
For the prominent Indonesian writer Mochtar Lubis (1922–2004), Zwembad Tjikini remained a painful symbol of colonial discrimination. Recalling his childhood, he wrote: "On Sundays we would hang around outside the Tjikini swimming pool and read the racist sign: 'No entry for natives and dogs.' We tried to provoke fights with Dutch boys our age, but they usually ignored us—they did not want bloody noses, while we were proud of our black eyes or swollen lips. We called them 'wounds earned in the struggle for an independent Indonesia.' It may have been childish and futile, but it fulfilled a psychological need."
In 1935, AIA (Algemeen Ingenieur Architectenbureau), one of the leading architectural firms in the Dutch East Indies, proposed the construction of a spectator grandstand with changing rooms beneath it beside the swimming pool. Although the design was completed, the project was never realized.
Originally, Zwembad Tjikini consisted of two swimming pools. Each side was lined with sheltered pavilions for visitors—primarily Europeans and Dutch residents—featuring layered roofs supported by columns built from natural stone. The complex also included a diving platform, making it one of the most modern swimming facilities in Batavia at the time.
Today, the former Zwembad Tjikini, now known as the Cikini Swimming Pool, retains only one swimming pool. Although much of the original complex has disappeared, the site continues to embody an important chapter in Jakarta's urban, architectural, and social history, reflecting both the city's modernization during the colonial era and the enduring legacy of racial segregation within its public spaces.
Kolam Renang Cikini yang sekarang menjadi bagian Hotel Ibis Budget Cikini dulu dikenal sebagai Zwembad Tjikini. Kolam renang ini, dibangun pada tahun 1924 oleh seorang arsitek Ir. FJL Ghijsels (1882-1947), yang lahir di Tulung Agung, Jawa Timur. FJL Ghijsels adalah arsitek yang cukup dikenal yang menghasilkan banyak karya. Jejak karyanya di Jakarta yang masih bisa kita nikmati diantaranya adalah Gereja St. Jozef (sekarang Gereja Santo Yoseph Jatinegara), Batavia: Stasiun Benedenstad (sekarang Stasiun Kota), hotel termegah di Jakarta, Hotel des Indes sampai 1960-an, gedung Bappenas dan kantor Direktorat Perhubungan Laut dan gedung lainnya yang sangat mungkin sudah tidak berdiri lagi. Ia pernah menerima apresiasi yang sangat tinggi dari pameran arsitektur di Bataviasche Kunstkring pada Desember 1925, sebagai arsitektur yang berbakat, desainnya dianggap lebih baru, lebih megah, juga lebih sederhana, serta sepenuhnya menjadi diri sendiri dengan keteguhan bertutur dalam rancangan yang dibangunnya.
Kembali ke zwembad Tjikini, kolam eksklusif yang diresmikan sekitar tahun 1925 ini adalah bagian dari sarana hiburan dan kesehatan yang mendukung pemukiman elite di daerah Menteng pada masa itu. Di masa kolonial, di kolang renang Tjikini sering diadakan perlombaan renang antarpelajar. Pada saat diresmikan, siapa pun termasuk berbagai macam etnis dan kelas sosial, termasuk kaum pribumi, diperbolehkan menggunakan Zwembad Tjikini ini. Karena itu, bisa dikatakan pada awal-awal zwembad Tjikini dipenuhi berbagai etnis, ras, dan kelas sosial yang berbaur menikmati kolam renang, dan tak terhindarkan terjadi sentimen identitas di kolam renang tersebut. Karena banyaknya warga kota berenang di Zwembad Tjikini yang menyebabkan air menjadi keruh, pihak pengelola yang notabene adalah orang Eropa melarang kaum pribumi menggunakan fasilitas kolam renang tersebut, dan fasilitas kolam renang Zwembad Tjikini hanya diperuntukkan untuk orang Eropa, khususnya warga Belanda. Dalam memori sastrawan besar Indonesia, Mochtar Lubis (1922-2004), zwembad Tjikini meninggalkan ingatan yang tidak menyenangkan. Mochtar Lubis pernah mengatakan begini, “Pada hari Minggu, kami nongkrong di sekitar kolam renang Tjikini, dan membaca tulisan yang rasis, 'Dilarang masuk bagi penduduk asli dan anjing'. Kami mencoba memprovokasi ketegangan dengan anak laki-laki Belanda seusia kami. Akan tetapi, mereka biasanya tidak menanggapi hal itu, mereka tidak ingin hidung berdarah, sementara kami bangga dengan mata lebam atau bibir bengkak. Kami menyebutnya 'terluka dalam perjuangan untuk Indonesia yang merdeka'. Sia-sia dan kekanak-kanakan mungkin, tetapi itu memenuhi kebutuhan psikologis.”
Pada tahun 1935, AIA (Algemeen Ingenieur Architectenbureau) yaitu biro arsitektur zaman Hindia Belanda, merencanakan bentuk tribun, dengan ruang ganti di bawahnya, di sebelah kolam renang. Namun rencana tersebut tidak pernah terealisasi. Zwembad Tjikini pada awalnya memiliki dua kolam renang, yang di setiap sisinya terdapat tempat berteduh bagi para pengunjung (warga Eropa dan Belanda), dengan dua susunan atap dengan beberapa tiang penyangga yang terbuat dari susunan batu alam. Selain itu, dulu, di Zwembad Tjikini, juga ada tempat untuk melompat. Kini Zwembad Tjikini (Kolam Renang Cikini) hanya memiliki satu kolam renang.