Originally operated as a shopping mall, this ten-storey building has now been transformed into a technology hub that plays host to communities and players in the creative industry.
Photo by Click Square doc.
Soft launched in March 2017 with a grand opening held in May, Click Square has its own story to tell. The property was previously known as BeMall, strategically situated along Jalan Naripan, one of the busiest streets in Bandung. After undergoing a one-and-a half year renovation, the building is now grabbing the attention of passers-by for its giant LED screen that boasts various creative digital features.
Digital visuals are what make Click Square stand out from the crowd, especially with the video mapping featuring an 850 sqm LED screen, which Antariksa Erlanda, the CEO of Click Square, mentions as “the first in Southeast Asia”.
This video mapping with 14 projectors and 30,000 lumens undoubtedly adds to the list of already happening and entertaining places in the capital of West Java. Yet, the video making is not the only thing about Click Square, which is best described as a technology hub for Indonesian creative communities.
“We are the digital ecosystem of creative communities, not only from Bandung but also from other cities. So far, there are around 500 communities listed here, ranging from those of game creators and interactive digital content makers to photographers, musicians, graphic designers, and more. We equip them with the facilities they need, so they can improve the capacity and quality of their works. We want to empower them so they can give more contributions to the country’s creative industry. Here, we act as a management facilitator that promotes their works to users,” Erlanda explains.
As a means of promoting the property and the communities, he adds that Click Squarecollaborates with the Seventh Sky apps radiostation.
Click Square is indeed a unique property featuring innovative technologies. As you enter the building, you won’t miss the 120 sqm interactive LED floor surrounded by F&B outlets. “Creative contents and game creators can display their works in the interactive LED floor. And we inject advertisements to monetise this area,” he adds.
Explore all the ten storeys of the building, which is set on almost 6,000 sqm of land, and you will find a unique range of colours and art objects incorporated into the building’s walls and floors as well as vendors’ interiors. One of the artworks worth mentioning is a big mural displaying John Lennon’s melancholic expression. There is a Djarum lounge that functions as a meeting point for creative communities, and as a place to hold different activities like talk shows and member gatherings.
F&B outlets make up most of the tenants in the building. Among them are the legendary AH (American Hamburger) restocafe, D’89 Café, Nanami Ramen, Pempek Bond, Diet Kapan Kapan; and there is also In n Out, a food court that houses an array of outlets serving various cuisines.
Aside from presenting menus that differ from one to another, the tenants outdo each other showcasing their innovative designs. Yet all of them share something in common, as a destination for comfortable hangouts with an intimate ambience.
“Entertainment likewise plays an important role in drawing visitors, and for that reason we have a music stage equipped with the latest sound system technology. The stage is where musicians from different communities showcase their talents,” Erlanda further explains, adding that in order to enhance their creations, “we have an international standard recording studio, as well as class rooms for those seeking to enhance their skills in musical instruments, show performance and sound engineering.”
As we explore more around the property, we see a number of graphic designers taking an animation class. “We hold classes and workshops of different subjects. We plan to open more learning sessions to nurture talented newbies, with such subjects as photography, graphic design, interior design, sound engineering, music, acting and writing,” says one of the staff, who also shows us other facilities such as a broadcasting studio, a room for photography communities featuring post pro editing with rendering farm, and a multi-function hall for various activities like cheerleaders’ practice. Not to be missed is the open-air cinema that features works of cinematography.
“It all started from a dream of empowering those Indonesians who are engaged in the creative industry, so they can compete at an international level with their counterparts from other nations,” Erlanda says of what lies behind the establishment of Click Square. “And we are nowhere to unite and nurture the dignity of creative people from our country.”
“There are so many creative talents in Indonesia, but they have limited resources to develop their creativities”, he remarks. “With all the technology features and facilities that we have, we as a digital ecosystem want to be one of the solutions to contribute to the advancement of Indonesia’s creative industry.”