The plan shows a grand residence intended as the private palace for the governor-general flanked with smaller buildings for administrative work.

Despite Daendels' intention to reside in the new palace, he never had the chance to stay because he was ordered by Napoleon to command the Grande Armée and was soon stationed in Modlin Fortress, Poland.

With the governor's palace unfinished, the Governor-General of Batavia would reside at the mansion of van Braam in Rijswijk (now Jalan Veteran)[1] Fifteen years later in 1826, Governor-General du Bus de Gisignies ordered the completion of the building to be used to house government bureaus that were then badly accommodated in other parts of Batavia.

The completion is commemorated in a plaque written: "MDCCIX - Condidit Daendels, MDCCCXXVIII - Erexit DUBUS" currently kept in Jakarta Cathedral.

[7][6] On May 1, 1848, the High Court (Hoogeregtshof, Hoogerechter, Algemene Secretarie) was relocated to a building north of the Daendels Palace.

The palace consists of a 160 m (520 ft) long two-storeyed main building intended for the residence of Governor-General Daendels himself.

The private residence is flanked with two wings to its left and right that were intended for administration, guest houses, a stable for 120 horses, and carriage-houses.