An Old House in front of Centrale Burgerlijke Ziekeninrichting Semarang

When we pass through the main street in front of Semarang General Hospital (also known as Centrale Burgerlijke Ziekeninrichting or CBZ during Dutch Colonial Era), we can directly find an old house. This house is situated on a cliff in front of the Hospital. 

Just a simple old clay roofed house with particular detail on its facade. There is an interesting protruding multifaceted window module at upper floor level. I'm just imagining if I'm sitting on a lounge inside this protruding space, I will have great views to the Hospital building complex and an old neighborhood church nearby.

Main entry belong to this house is placed in a discreet location, it seem intentionally concealed against the main street and surrounded by lush trees. A Hill called as 'Gunung Sawo' is situated directly behind this house.I think we can follow a small road up the steep hill - in  front of the neighborhood church at streets intersection - to reach this house.

Centrale Burgerlijke Ziekeninrichting; an Old General Hospital in Semarang City

During my childhood, I was hearing that my grand father described this hospital building as "CBZ", just a simple and short acronym. Now, I know that "CBZ" is and acronym of "Centrale Burgerlijke Ziekeninrichting", a Dutch term which is related with the function this building as Central Hospital in Semarang City. History noted that CBZ is founded on 1925 by Dutch Colonial Authority.

This Hospital is situated at north-end side of Kalisari Street or formally known as Dr. Sutomo Street. Bergota cemetery hill - the largest cemetery area in Semarang City - is situated directly behind the hospital complex. The hospital complex is still growing and the development of new building blocks to increase wards capacity and other modern medical treatment facilities.

I think the remaining original CBZ building parts are well preserved, and could be obviously found at its main formal entry gate area. A block of building with clay roof within some copula towers on the roof tops are found around this entry gate building. Visually, it look like simple combination of some building with different shapes of box, cube and cylinder under clay roofs. The entry building block itself, originally is the highest among the others within its different shaped tallest round copula on its roof top.

Semarang City at "Zero Kilometer"

There is just a small black granite obelisk in the middle of a garden in the middle of the street in front of Semarang Central Post Office Building. If somebody stand at this 0 kilometer marker position and facing to the east direction, he or she can directly see the 'mBerok Bridge' as an entry to Semarang Old City Conservation Area. Meanwhile, when somebody facing the opposite side, he or she can see the former Javasche Bank Building.

There are official regional government logos are found to all four obelisk sides. And at the lower part we can find a text that mentions that this is "0 kilometer" marker of the city. Maybe not every citizen aware that 0 kilometer of their own is simply located here. Nowadays, this "zero kilometer" point is situated at east-end of Pemuda (Bodjong) Street, a main busy street in Semarang City, surrounding by main regional government buildings such as Central Post Office, Government Financial Office and Regional Government Bank Office.

Snapshots to "de Javasche Bank" Building

Based on historical notes, the building is already existed in the year of 1927 during Dutch Colonial Era. This is another building have designed by Thomas Karsten, a well-known Dutch Architect who designed many famous colonial buildings in Semarang City. Many years ago, Semarang citizen have recognized this building as Bank Indonesia, an Central Bank Institution owned by the Indonesian government. The building ever known also as government's archive building. Nowadays, this building is known as "Bank Jateng" Building, a regional Bank Institution owned by Central Java Government.

This building is situated at eat-end side of Bodjong Street (today is known as Pemuda Street) near Semarang Central Post Office Building. Building orientation is facing to the east where "mBerok Bridge" is situated nearby, and it makes the building looks more prominent from the direction of Old City Conservation Area.

The building itself is simply identified by the existence of its tower beside of main building block with its clay roof structure in triangular prism shape. Windows arrangement is simply generates vertical strip patterns on building facade. I think we can also see some other old buildings in Semarang are found in this similar style.

A Snapshot to an Old Warehouse at the 'Outstadt'

This just another simple snapshot to a simple building, an old warehouse which is located in Semarang Old City conservation Area. The building is facing to the south and directly situated in a T-intersection Street in front of the "Roode Driehoek" House. Six tall heavily wooden paneled doors with arch-topped details are visually dominant elements belong to this warehouse. Ventilation holes in star shape are details we can found in every doors. Decorative wrought iron brackets are found in between the tall doors. Decorative wooden roof fascia is simply enriched the facade belong to this warehouse. A shallow masonry pediment at the upper part of the facade is simply unifying all elements at lower part.

Snapshot to an old building at 'Zwaluwstraat'

This is just a simple snapshot to an old building at south-end side of Branjangan Street, a street inside Old City Conservation Area. It is situated in a T-intersection street in front of another old building I have described in my older blog post dated 3rd of May 2011. This building is also situated nearby another old building currently known as Telkom MSC Office Building, which is located in Letjen Soeprapto Street ( or known also  as Heerenstraat during Dutch Colonial Era). A historical source mentioned that this building originally known as Dunlop-Kolff-Makelaars, a trading company in related with sugar, rice, kapok, effects, etc.

It about less than a hundred meters from this building we can find another famous old building at Branjangan Street which is called "Roode Driehoek" House. Obviously, the remaining upper facade is becoming interesting part belong to this building. Curved pediment are combined with six vertical louvered windows at top facade. Lower facade is consisting of remaining wooden tall windows that are covered with light metal roofing with wrought iron brackets. Extended columns in simplified 'obelisk' shape are another elements that visually unify the lower and the upper part of the building facade

A Snapshot to an Old House at the 'Outstadt'

This posting is just simply highlighting a two storey old house in a T-instersection street at currently known as Garuda Street City at Semarang Old City Conservation Area. It situated about less than 100 meter in front of the House of Roode Driehoek at Branjangan Street. This house is facing to the South and located directly in front of the "Borsumij" Warehouse building.

The upper part looks interesting within its protruding 'close-to-close' glass windows arrangement which are framed with light wooden frames. Meanwhile, the lower part of the house consists of 3 (three) main full-height double doors where 2 (two) doors are covered under an overhung roof. Seemingly, it was defining a two separated different functions between the lower floor and upper floor belong to the this old building. Another one smaller door is placed at west end side.

The upper part looks visually lighter in appearance by the existence of dominant glass windows and wooden wall cladding and the lower part looks stronger by the appearance of solid brick wall. Wild vegetation are already grown and consuming the upper part of the house. How long will this old house survive?

The House of "Roode Driehoek"

This is an old small building which is located in a T-intersection street in the middle of Semarang Old City Conservation Area. Maybe this one of a famous spot where peoples use it as distinctive photo background for their pre-wedding pictures or photograph memories during their trip around Semarang City. The photograph pictures then will tell the story as if they were standing in front of a building in a city in Netherlands.

The main point of interest belong to this house is the "Roode Driehoek" text as a facade signage over an arch entry door transom. So far, there is not many historical references could not be found to explain what does the word of "Roode Driehoek" should mean. Is this could be freely translated as 'Red Triangle'? Is the meaning of 'Red Triangle' is associated with war and political term that used in Europe during World War II ?

"The Peek House" at 'Achterkerkstraat'

With reference to some historical notes, this building originally known as Kantoor Tasripin. Tasripin was one of the Indonesian richest people in the beginning of the 20th Century. Nowadays, this building known as Peek House. Peek House is situated at about 100 meter north-east of Blenduk Church or 360 meter south of Tawang Train Station. The building is situated at Garuda Street, this is street was known as Achterkerkstraat during Dutch Colonial Era that connecting Merak Street (Norder-wall-Straat) near Tawang Train Station to Letjen Suprapto Street (Heerenstraat). The building also accessible from a small branch street near The Spiegel's House.

Peek House itself not directly facing to the main street. Peek House main entry is accessible from a small branch street. Actually, it makes Peek House entry slightly concealed from any point of main pedestrian area.This is a two-storey building with a series of tall wooden windows with transoms as main elements to its facade. A long narrow balcony is situated at building entry side facing to south. Stainless steel balustrade and outdoor A/C units are poorly placed at this balcony level.

Previously, the building is functioned as a private art gallery. It seems not many art exhibitions were happened here. Nowadays, even though the building looks well preserved, it often looks like an empty building with many windows and main entry door remain closed from day to day.

An Old Neighborhood Building behind the Spiegel's House

 

Just a series of snapshots to an neighborhood old building behind the Spiegel's House during an afternoon day. This building is identified as a house number 12A, currently situated between Garuda and Kedasih Street, not far from the "Peek House".

 

This is a two-storeys building with rich detailing on upper floor facade with red brick work arches, wooden transoms, ornamental metal brackets and small balcony. It seem the wrought iron brackets are remaining parts belong to the lost overhung structures that originally covered the windows. The building looks well-preserved, even though its actually located across a 'slum' houses and directly located behind the famous unpreserved Spiegel's House.