UGM is the first and oldest public university in Indonesia, established in 1949 in Yogyakarta, a region infamous for being the center of traditional Javanese arts and cultural heritage, and the seat of the Yogyakarta Sultanate. There are 420 buildings inside the UGM main campus area which spans a total area of 1,600,022 m2.
UGM Heritage Buildings
UGM’s buildings can be categorized into three types, as shown in the picture above. The buildings marked in red are heritage buildings. Those in orange were constructed before 2010, some of them 20 to 30 years old. Meanwhile, the buildings marked in blue are newer constructions built after 2010.
The heritage buildings include the UGM Central Office and the Pantja Dharma Complex:
UGM Central Office – Gedung Pusat UGM
UGM’s Central Office was inaugurated in the year 1959 by Indonesia’s first president, President Ir. Sokarno, to mark the establishment of the first public university successfully built by the Republic of Indonesia after our hard-earned independence. Unlike other historical national buildings, which were designed by Dutch architects, the UGM Central Office was designed by an Indonesian architect, GPH Hadinegoro. It took nine years to construct, and today stands not only as grand, elegant, and dignified, but also as a structure that embodies profound values and philosophical meaning. The building is mainly used as an office for university leaders and directorates. The public is welcomed to enter during university events such as workshops, inauguration and graduation ceremonies, and memorials.
The Pantja Dharma Complex
The five buildings in our Pantja Dharma Complex have witnessed key Indonesian historical moments in the decades they have stood. In October 26 to November 14, 1959, the complex was used as the venue for the Colombo Plan Planning Conference (Pre-Colombo Plan), attended by 21 countries. At the time, the site was known as Colombodorp and was chosen as the conference venue to showcase Indonesia’s development progress to the world since joining the Colombo Plan in 1953. After the conference concluded, the buildings were returned to Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX, who subsequently entrusted them to UGM. Today, the complex is used by the Vocational College.
House of UGM – Omah UGM
Meanwhile, off-campus, Omah UGM is a 200 year-old traditional Javanese house managed by UGM’s Department of Architecture and Planning. It stands in Kotagede, an area that was formerly the capital of the Islamic Mataram Kingdom during the 15th century. After the 2006 earthquake, UGM purchased and restored the building, a feat that could not have been accomplished without support from both Indonesian and international companies. Omah UGM retains the distinctive structure and facade of a traditional Kotagede house. Today, Omah UGM is open to the public, and serves as a center for cultural preservation, disaster mitigation training, and heritage conservation.
UGM Grants Public Access to Campus Buildings
UGM’s main campus in Bulaksumur is located within Yogyakarta’s bustling city, surrounded by numerous city buildings and having a high population density. The campus road network is directly connected to Yogyakarta’s major thoroughfares, such as Kaliurang Street, allowing the general public to pass through several campus areas as they navigate the city. The surrounding city streets are lined with hotels, residential areas, restaurants, cafés, shops, shopping malls, and pharmacies—many of which remain active late into the night. The Main Campus is also situated near other universities, as well as primary and secondary schools, making the surrounding campus streets busy with local Yogyakarta residents throughout the day and night.
The university’s entry and exit gates are installed with portals. However, these portal gates are not intended to restrict the public from entering UGM, but rather to record vehicle numbers as part of efforts to limit the number of carbon-emitting vehicles. To reach the museums/heritage sites located inside the campus, visitors can easily enter through one of the entrance gates and locate the closest parking area.
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