Jakarta International Stadium
Jakarta International Stadium () is a retractable roof football stadium in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the home ground of Persija Jakarta after moving from their current stadium, Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, and the occasional home of the Indonesia national football team, after an agreement between PSSI and PT JAKPRO to use the facility. The stadium is able to host 82,000 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Indonesia. Construction of the stadium was delayed due to land disputes and class-action lawsuits by former squatters whose homes were demolished to make way for the stadium. Construction  commenced in late 2019 and completed in April 2022. The stadium complex is built on 22 hectares of land and the stadium building itself is built on . This stadium is the largest capacity retractable roof stadium in Asia and the second largest retractable roof stadium by capacity in the world, just behind AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. History. Pre-construction and planning. In late 2000s to early 2010s, plans had emerged that a new home stadium for Persija Jakarta would be built in 26.5 hectares of land near the BMW Park () in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, where squatters had been  illegally building homes for the last few years. The stadium was to be named 'BMW Stadium' after the aforementioned neighbouring park and was scheduled to be built by 2013 and completed by 2015. The stadium had a planned capacity of 50,000 and was originally planned to feature a running track. This stadium was to be a replacement of Lebak Bulus Stadium which was demolished for the Jakarta MRT train depot. By 2014, the stadium's construction hadn't commenced since the owner of the land is still disputed by the former squatters and the city government. New plans had been  discussed to build the stadium with a brand new design with 80,000 capacity for the 2018 Asian Games, but later the plans were cancelled and the government opted to renovate the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium later in 2016. After multiple series of failed planning and construction, the land dispute was over and it was ready to be cleared for construction on 2017, and buildings of former squatters was later demolished. Two years after the land was cleared, an official plan was released for a stadium of 82,000 capacity with a retractable roof and without a running track, unlike the previous  project designs over the years. The newly designed project was given the name 'Jakarta International Stadium' and broke ground on 14 March 2019 with Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan kicking off the construction. Since the construction has started, the affected neighbouring residents of Kampung Bayam has asked for compensation for damages and most residents has moved out of the area. Construction. The stadium construction started in September 2019. The construction of the stadium hasn't been halted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit safety precautions and medical check-ups for workers has been implemented. Due to the pandemic, the construction progress slowed  down caused by the decrease of construction workers and delay of construction materials being shipped and transported for the project. This problem has pushed the estimated opening date from October 2021 to April 2022. On 4 June 2021, the lifting of the steel roof truss began. The three-phased lifting was completed on 17 June 2021, just under 2 weeks after it was started. The main truss has a total mass of 3,900 tons and has a length of . Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan claimed that the lifting was the biggest and heaviest ever done on a stadium roof in the  world, and earned a MURI record for the Heaviest Lifting of Stadium Roof Structure on 28 July 2021. The stadium also earned two other records for the First Retractable Roof Stadium in Indonesia and the First Stadium to be a Platinum Green Building in Indonesia certified using GREENSHIP Rating Tool of Green Building Council Indonesia (GBC Indonesia). On 10 December 2021, the construction of the sheet metal roof has been completed, while the stadium has reached 87,85% completion. The next day, the sound system, floodlights, and hybrid grass was tested, with Fadly, the vocalist of rock band Padi, performing for  the construction workers in the stadium. Opening. The stadium was planned to have a soft opening on 11 December 2021, but a week before the opening, the government decided to postpone it due to the Omicron variant outbreak. The soft opening date was delayed to 6 February 2022, but was later delayed again due to rising COVID-19 cases. The stadium finally had its soft opening on 13 April 2022, to coincide with the first matchday of the 2021 International Youth Championship, a friendly cup participated by the youth teams of Indonesia, Barcelona, Bali United, and Atlético Madrid. It was held  from 13–19 April 2022. The group stage matches of the championship was scheduled to be held in the newly renovated Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium in Bali, but the stadium was withdrawn due to COVID-19 restrictions. The competition was hosted in the stadium to "show the world that European-quality stadiums will be an icon of Indonesia" said Gede Widiade, the chairman of Pancoran Soccer Field, the organizer of the event. On 19 April, Barcelona U-18 won the competition after winning 1–0 against Atlético Madrid U-18. Facilities. Jakarta International Stadium is built to FIFA standards to accommodate various uses, such  as music concerts and art events besides football and other sporting events. The stadium is developed as a multi-function area. Other than a football stadium, there will also be two outdoor training fields. The wide pedestrian ramp will connect the stadium complex to the nearby BMW Park. It is planned to develop an agritourist connecting the stadium complex with the neighbouring Cincin reservoir and urban forest. The stadium have three-tiered stands with a total capacity of 82,000 spectators. The total height of the stadium is tall, making it one of the tallest stadiums in the world. The stadium  façade features a tiger-striped-styled pattern designed after Persija's color and mascot, while the stadium shape itself is inspired by traditional Betawi clothing. The stadium's playing field is of FIFA regulation size of , and uses a hybrid grass surface. The hybrid grass is a combination of "zoysia matrella" grass and LIMONTA MIXTO artificial turf imported from Italy and is used in the outdoor training fields as well. It is the first football stadium in Indonesia to have a semi-artificial surface. Both training pitches and the main pitch are all constructed by PT. Delta Prima Pro as  LIMONTA's representative in Indonesia. As an unorthodox approach to field maintenance, pied stilt birds are let out each day to eat pests, therefore effectively maintaining the fertility of the grass without the need to use harmful pesticides. The retractable roof is made of ETFE membrane and is long. It is also be the first football stadium to have a retractable roof in Indonesia and the second football stadium in Southeast Asia to feature a retractable roof after Singapore National Stadium. JIS Sky View Deck. Jakarta International Stadium features a sky-viewing observation deck on the side of the retractable  roof, the first stadium to have one in Southeast Asia. The deck is or 20 stories high above the ground that offers a 180-degree view of the Ancol complex and the rest of the North Jakarta area. The deck can be used for jogging and climbing. Transport. The stadium is proposed to connect with a KRL Commuterline Pink Line station, as the stadium is located close into the line, as well as a Jakarta LRT station. One Transjakarta BRT route is also connected, with three more routes planned.