It was first developed in the 18th century as Pasar Senen when Governor Daendels established the bovenstad (the upper town) as the new center of government of the fledgling city (then known as Batavia).

[1] Both markets were connected with a road simply known as weg van Tanabang naar Weltevreden, which would later become Jalan Kwitang & KH.

It was much-lined with the formidable façades of three key employment sites with commanding Ciliwung river views behind the STOVIA, an opium factory, and a military complex.

[3] By the late 1950s, Pasar Senen had deteriorated into a slum and became a hub for gangs, illegal gambling, prostitutes, and pickpockets.

[1] Economically and socially marginalized such as the homeless, market sellers, prostitutes, criminals, gamblers, and lower-income artists and contract laborers were drawn to Senen.

The red light district received the nickname "Planet Senen", a playful term alluding to the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States in the 1960s, as well as its relative isolation from the rest of Jakarta.

Dangdut musicians who started their career in Planet Senen were Asmin Cayder, Rhoma Irama, Mukhsin Alatas, Husein Bawafie, and Mashabi.

[11] In 1962, the government of Jakarta and several private investors formed PT Pembangunan Jaya as a joint public-private partnership to revitalize Senen and replace the old shops.

[1] Senen sex workers were displaced to Kramat Tunggak, North Jakarta, by Governor Ali Sadikin, which would also become the largest red light district in later years.

In 1968, the Taman Ismail Marzuki Arts Center in nearby Cikini was established as a new congregation point for Senen artists and poets.

[5] On 15 January 1974, students from the Planet Senen youth center demonstrated against the government's policy regarding the role of foreign investment in Indonesia.

The riots attacked the visible Japanese presence in Indonesia such as an Astra dealership selling Toyota-brand cars on Sudirman Street.

Later the riots shifted to an anti-Chinese Indonesian pogrom, attacking stores owned by ethnic Chinese, including the Senen shopping complex.

In 1990, the government built a modern shopping center, the Atrium which before the 1997 Asian financial crisis hosted the international brand of Yaohan and Marks & Spencer as its anchor tenant.

Despite its history, the cinema was in extremely poor condition and survived by offering low-budget films usually in the horror or erotic genres before closing in 2016.

[15][14] Attempts by director Joko Anwar to revive the cinema for a screening of Impetigore in 2019 were cancelled due to permit issues.