“Indonesia is booming, Indonesia must be strong, Indonesia must be beautiful,” declared Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on February 13, 2026, at a summit in Jakarta dedicated to the nation’s economic prospects.
At the heart of this vision of national power and aesthetics, the head of state unveiled an unprecedented architectural and social project: the “Gentengisasi” program, a neologism literally meaning “tiling.”
The goal is radical and time-bound: to replace all of the country’s rusty zinc roofs with terracotta tiles within three years.
For Prabowo, the issue goes beyond simple urban renewal; it strikes at the heart of tourism and national dignity, forcefully asserting that rust is a symbol of decay incompatible with the country’s development.
« Why would foreign tourists come to see rusty zinc? » “I hope that in two or three years, Indonesia will no longer be rusty,” he said, emphasizing that an orderly landscape under “genteng” (tile) roofs would make villages cleaner and more welcoming to international visitors.
This vast national roofing project, part of a drive for accelerated modernization, aims not only to improve the thermal insulation of homes—terracotta tiles offer better heat regulation than metal in a tropical climate—but also to stimulate the local ceramics and construction industries.
By launching this titanic challenge from the beginning of his term, President Prabowo intends to transform the face of the archipelago into a destination of excellence, where the beauty of the infrastructure equals that of the natural landscapes.