Merdeka Palace

Merdeka Palace
The front facade of Merdeka Palace
General information
Architectural style	Palladian architecture
Location	Jalan Medan Merdeka Utara Gambir Jakarta 10160, Indonesia
Construction started	1873
Client	Governor-General of The Dutch East Indies
Design and construction
Architect	Jacobus Bartholomeus Drossaers

The Merdeka Palace (Indonesian: Istana Merdeka; also known in Indonesian as Istana Gambir and during colonial times as Paleis te Koningsplein), is one of six presidential palaces in Indonesia. It is located on the north side of the Merdeka Square in Central Jakarta, Indonesia and is used as the official residence of the President of the Republic of Indonesia.

The palace was a residence for the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies during the colonial era. In 1949, the palace was renamed Merdeka Palace, "(ke)merdeka(an)" meaning "freedom" or "independence".

The Merdeka Palace is part of the 6.8 hectares (17 acres) Jakarta Presidential Palace Complex, which also includes the Negara Palace, Wisma Negara (State Guesthouse), Sekretariat Negara (State Secretariat), and the Bina Graha building. It is the center of the Indonesian executive authority.

The history of the Merdeka Palace starts with the mansion of merchant Jacob Andries van Braam, built in Rijswijk (today known as Harmonie) in 1804. The estate was purchased by the government of Dutch East Indies to house the administration and council meetings.

During the mid-19th century, the Rijswijk palace no longer sufficed for administrative purposes, thus Governor-General Pieter Mijer ordered the construction of a new palace in 1869. Construction started later on 23 March 1873 under Governor-General James Loudon's administration. The Neo-Palladian palace was designed by Jacobus Bartholomeus Drossaers, and was built by the Department of Public Works and the contracting firm Drossaers & Company at a cost of ƒ 360,000. The new building was built in southern part of the Rijswijk Palace grounds, directly facing Koningsplein (now Merdeka Square). The palace was finished in 1879 during Governor-General Johan Wilhelm van Lansberge's administration. This new palace was also known as Istana Gambir (Gambir Palace).