Urban Aesthetics Analysis with Townscape Theory Approach in Architecture Photography (Case Study: Jakarta Old Town Core Zone)

Urban esthetics is an important aspect that must be recognized and understood, especially the ones related with urban architecture and/or urban design. Along with the history of an urban area, activities to identify esthetic aspects must be implemented in order to improve urban esthetic value created by certain spaces in the urban area. One aspect that can be conducted to analyze urban area morphology is by implementing analysis on an area or an urban area through its products. One general approach to analyze urban area product is through City Imaging and Townscape. Architecture photography can be utilized to document elements of a building, both in general and in details while also focuses on urban esthetics. Urban esthetics value is a tool to identify an urban area, and act as a vital element to describe the dynamic aspect of an urban area. One of the most interesting areas in Jakarta to be analyzed is the old town core zone area as an appealing area to be visualized based on townscape theory due to its historic buildings and as one of the leading cultural tourism destination pillars located in DKI Jakarta. This utilizes qualitative research method, which is a method to explore various phenomenon bound by time and activity, through detailed data and information gathering by using photographical approach. The result of this research revealed that Old Town core zone still requires a number of improvements to be developed into an area that fulfill Urban Esthetic concept.