RUMAH KUDUS
Within Le Meridien Jakarta's modern exterior, you'll find a rich collection of artworks made by Indonesian artists residing within it. One of them is Rumah Kudus. With its great traditional artistic value, the wooden house has become the must-see icon among Le Meridien Jakarta's art collection. Rumah Kudus is constructed out of high-grade teak wood at the place from which it got its name, Kudus, Central Java. To claim its place at Le Meridien Jakarta's penthouse, it had to travel a distance as far as 527 km. Rumah Kudus is made to the liking of a Joglo, a traditional Javanese house. Like most Joglo houses, Rumah Kudus' construction is also heavily imbued with philosophical connotations. One of them you can immediately find from the steps leading into the house. The number of steps, which totals to five, represents the five pillars of Islam, signifying the religion's influence on the history of Java. What differentiates Rumah Kudus to other Joglo houses is the variety of carvings that envelop almost every surface of its wood. The work of an expert carver from Kudus, the patterns range from flora, fauna, to other ornamental shapes. Inside, you'll also find displays that add more artistic value to the house like a pair of Loro Blonyo sculptures, which symbolizes prosperity, antique lamps, statues, and age-old vases.
