Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue

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Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue
View of the statue from the north

View of the statue from the north

Data
place Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park , Ungusan , Indonesia
architect Nyoman Nuarta
Architectural style statue
Construction year 1993 to 2018
height 121 m
Coordinates 8 ° 48 '50.8 "  S , 115 ° 9' 59.8"  O Coordinates: 8 ° 48 '50.8 "  S , 115 ° 9' 59.8"  O
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue (Indonesia)
Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue

The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue (also Garuda Wisnu Kencana Monument or GWK Statue ) is a 75 meter high colossal statue in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park in Ungusan , in the south of the Indonesian island of Bali . Together with the 46 meter high base, the total height of the monument is 121 meters. The statue represents the deity Wisnu ( Vishnu ) riding the bird Garuda , whose wingspan in the statue is 64 meters.

meaning

Garuda, the mount ( Vahana ) of Vishnu, is a national landmark and forms the coat of arms of Indonesia . The Hindu Balinese believe that Wisnu (known elsewhere as Vishnu) is the preserver and protector of the universe. He fights against destructive forces when they threaten to escalate into chaos and comes to restore cosmic equilibrium. The mythical bird Garuda, on the other hand, symbolizes speed, strength and fighting spirit. On the top of Ungasan Hill the huge statue on approach to international's Ngurah Rai of Denpasar clearly visible.

Planning and construction

In 1989, the then Indonesian Minister for Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave commissioned the sculptor Nyoman Nuarta to design and build a statue to display at the airport. This turned into a mega-project for which President Soeharto granted permission in 1993, after which the foundation stone was laid on Jimraran Hill in the Ungasan cultural park area.

The construction of the statue was stopped in 1998 due to the currency crisis in Indonesia. The main buildings of the park had already been completed by this time. The head and upper part of the figure Wisnus, as well as some parts of Garuda were already on the construction site and were temporarily erected. In the years that followed, the global financial crisis, regime change, lack of investors, internal conflicts and opposition from Balinese scholars and activists prevented construction from resuming.

Only after a break of almost 14 years could the financing be secured through a deal between Nuarta, the GWK Foundation and a large real estate company, PT Alam Sutera Realty. The latter agreed to both assume the cost of building the statue, which was estimated at 150 billion Indonesian rupiah (8.8 million euros), and to buy 80 hectares of land on the site. This meant a takeover of around 82% of the shares in GWK and Nuatra. Therefore, the work could be continued. The head and top of the Wisnu figure had meanwhile become so important in the park that the part originally intended for the large statue was re-produced for the statue. At the same time, it was decided to build the large statue in a new location about 300 m away.

The monument was completed on July 31, 2018 after 25 years of construction and inaugurated on September 22, 2018 by Indonesian President Joko Widodo . The total cost of the project was 450 billion Indonesian rupiah (26 million euros ).

Description of the construction

The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is the tallest statue in Indonesia and one of the tallest statues in the world . Inside the statue there is a concrete support around which a skeleton structure made of steel profile girders is built. Steel pipes were used as scaffolding in the wings. Up to twelve beams can be brought together at the connection points. A total of 1700 tons of steel were used for the sculpture. The use of steel makes the statue more dynamic in strong winds or earthquakes and is said to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 8.

The outer cladding with a total area of ​​25,000 m² consists of copper and brass sheet. The brass is harder and stiffer and is used for reinforcement, while the greenish patina of the copper gives the staue its color. To accelerate the natural discoloration, the copper sheets were treated with acid on site. The crown of Wisnu is covered with golden mosaics. The statue was assembled from 754 individual modules that were built in Bandung , West Java , and then transported to the construction site. The total weight for the statue is 4000 tons.

Visitors can not only admire the statue from the outside. On the 8th floor (base) there is a viewing gallery, which is divided into an indoor and an outdoor area. From here the visitor has a good overview of the park. A restaurant or café is to be built inside. There is also another viewing platform on the 20th floor. This is located inside the statue. The floor and walls are made of glass so that the internal structure of the statue can be seen. However, not the entire floor has a glass floor to allow visitors with a fear of heights to enjoy the view.

The statue has its own lighting system that lets the statue shine in different colors after dusk.

Reactions

The idea for the monument was not without controversy; religious authorities on the island complained that its massive size could upset the island's spiritual balance and that its commercial nature was inadequate. Other groups agree to the project as it is a new tourist attraction.

Web links

Commons : Garuda Wisnu Kencana  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
The crown of Vishnu is covered with golden mosaics.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Meet the Designer of Garuda Wisnu Kencana: Nyoman Nuarta - NOW! Bali . September 1, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  2. ↑ a b Indonesia's new pride lies in Bali . In: Travelnews . September 25, 2018 ( travelnews.ch [accessed November 1, 2018]).
  3. ↑ Spectacular GARUDA WISNU KENCANA STATUE on Bali in Final Stage of Completion . September 12, 2019 ( indonesia.travel [accessed November 1, 2018]).
  4. ↑ a b Kompas Cyber ​​Media: INFOGRAFIK: Perjalanan Pembangunan Patung GWK - Kompas.com . In: KOMPAS.com . July 5, 2018 (Indonesian, kompas.com [accessed November 1, 2018] Infographic: Journey to the construction of the GWK statue).
  5. ↑ a b c Nuarta 'resurrects' tallest Wisnu statue | The Jakarta Post . In: archive.is . July 24, 2013 (Indonesian, archive.is [accessed November 2, 2018] Nuarta "awakens" the tallest Wisnu statue).
  6. ↑ GARUDA WISNU KENCANA - INDONESIA . In: Tekla . May 15, 2018 (Indonesian, tekla.com [accessed November 2, 2018]).
  7. ↑ Kompas Cyber ​​Media: Patung GWK Tahan Gempa hingga Magnitudo 8 - Kompas.com . In: KOMPAS.com . August 9, 2018 (Indonesian, kompas.com [accessed November 2, 2018] The GWK statue resists earthquakes up to magnitude 8).
  8. ↑ Kompas Cyber ​​Media: Tembaga dan Kuningan, Bahan Baku Utama Patung GWK - Kompas.com . In: KOMPAS.com . August 9, 2018 (Indonesian, kompas.com [accessed November 2, 2018] copper and brass, main raw materials for the GWK statue).
  9. ↑ Kompas Cyber ​​Media: 3 Ruangan di Patung GWK yang Wajib Dikunjungi - Kompas.com . In: KOMPAS.com . September 23, 2018 (Indonesian, kompas.com [accessed November 2, 2018] 3 rooms in the statue that you have to see).
  10. ^ Lomography - Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) . (English, lomography.com [accessed November 2, 2018]).