Last Days of Pasar Bulu Market

 

When we walk around the street where Tugu Muda Monument and Lawang Sewu are situated, we can easily found the existence of Pasar Bulu Market. This market building is directly situated across the street near the official house of The Governor of Central Java. This month Pasar Bulu might be started to be unoccupied from any daily traditional trading activities in related with revitalization project. At the middle of this year might be this old traditional market should be demolished and new development of modern retail building will be initiated.

This means after this revitalization project, we will not see one of 4 (four) old markets that built during Dutch Colonial Era in its original appearance. The building that is designed by Thomas Karsten a Dutch Architect, same architect who designed Pasar Johar market. Other opinion said that this building is not directly designed by Thomas Karsten, but is designed by Thomas Karsten's team members. Anyway, we will not see many of pillars with mushroom shape at the internal large open space of Pasar Bulu, same pillars as seen at Pasar Johar. Hundred of octagonal skylights as seen in Pasar Johar are not found in Pasar Bulu. Obviously, these octagonal roof skylights are only found in Pasar Johar and the Pasar Jatingaleh. Based on history notes, Pasar Bulu is built after Pasar Johar and Pasar Jatingaleh is the first market built in Semarang City during Dutch Colonial era. They are modern market buildings with concrete flat roof ever built in Dutch Colonial Era.

Pictures are shown in this posting are taken around 9 o'clock in Sunday morning on 17 July 2011, may be represent last daily activities in Pasar Bulu before the market is demolished in the middle of this year. Motorbikes parking lot at upper floor, tailor stall corner under the mushroom column, a lot of empty vendor stalls at upper floor and stairway under the canopy with mushroom columns are captured in the pictures. It seemed most of trading activities are happened in lower floor area and most of vendor stall at upper floor have remained empty already.