Remaining Old Row Houses in Jl. Lamper Sari Semarang

 

The pictures are taken in 2005, but I think this old house is still existed until today. The house is part of row houses that are originally shown in old colonial city master plan. Nowadays, most of them are already converted to new type of residential houses or even transformed to new commercial building functions.  

It seems originally the house are built as homogeneous type of houses as it shown in original map as seen in following links: https://bit.ly/3RiK1LF and https://bit.ly/3cr8qQh.

Fortunately, as seen in today google maps, some of the are still found in coupled layout version    within its mirror version scheme (against its neighborhood house unit). An it could be checked on this link https://bit.ly/3TmkjHS.

         

It just feel great to still be able to see and capture the 'current' old houses existence, before it change soon to another form of new appearance or even new building function. As already seen in Google Map Image (captured on April 2022), one of the house is already advertised as "house for sale".

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.

"Praoe Lajar" Cigarette Factory Building at Merak Street

"Praoe Lajar" Factory Building and "Suara Merdeka" Building are situated side by side against each other at Merak Street. History mentions that this building is built on 19th Century. "Praoe Lajar" itself is an old trademark of a famous local cigarette, most probably one of the oldest cigarette manufacturer that is still exist today.

This building could be easily recognized by its appearance with a contrast color scheme, a contrast combination of white and red color. A linear red big facade signage clearly and simply describes the name of the building "Pabrik Rokok Praoe Lajar" ("Praoe Lajar" Cigarette Factory).



Building's main entry is located at the east-end side, at the streets intersection point that lead to Tawang Train Station at northern side and to center of Old City Conservation Area at southern side. The main entry is also differed with some rich detailing such as half-circle glass transom over balcony and rich stained-glass patterns with company logo.

A Borsumij Warehouse

This is just a simple old building, a warehouse that is placed at Garuda Street No.9, a street that is situated behind the famous "Blenduk" Church. Currently, the building is identified as a warehouse belong to The Education Bureau of the local government.



There are a white painted plaster facade text signage of "Borsumij" that is found on the wall on top of the main ventilation grilles. At least this is an indication that this building is related with the existence of Borsumij, a Dutch Colonial Company. Borsumij was an acronym of Borneo Sumatra Maatschappij, a colonial trading company. This building may be related with the neighborhood old office building, the ITC Building that is also known as formerly office of Borneo Sumatra Maatschappij

The existence if this warehouse building also describes that various building types and functions are found in the inside of old city conservation area.

ITC Building, a Simply Contrast Neighborhood Building for "Blenduk" Church

The ITC (Indonesia Trade Center) Building is directly situated near the famous "Blenduk" Church and only separated by street. The building is also previously known as Gedung Kerta Niaga. This a simple old building in compare with surrounding neighborhood old buildings such as "Blenduk" Church and Gedung Jiwasraya. The building is a single block in a box shape with a feature tower, there is less and simple detailing on facade. This ITC Building supposed to be built at the latest period of Dutch Colonial Era. I have found a historical notes that this building originally known as Office building for Borsumij -
Borneo Sumatra Handel Maatschappij.

At a glance, the building composition that is consisting of box shape within a feature tower at the end corner of a crossroad is similar basic arrangement as Pertamina Building and "Toko Nagamas" at "Bodjong Street". Similar composition of shape is also found on the GKBI Building that is situated at the 'external' perimeter side of the old city conservation area.

Simple geometrical patterns are strongly reflected in horizontal and vertical patterns that are found on window, louvers and stone wall cladding. These shape arrangement is also elaborated with contrast color scheme that creates by vivid red colors on window frame members with grey plain wall as major background.

Gedung Jiwasraya, an Old Tall Building from Old City

Gedung Jiwasraya in one of old colonial building that is found in well-preserved conditions. The building is directly situated in front of the famous Semarang's Old ciy Icon: The "Blenduk" Church. These two old buildings are well set-up in the center of Semarang's Old City Consevation Area, particularly its relation with the existence of "Srigunting Park" as an open space nearby.

This is a building within a 'L-shape' layout scheme that is consisting of two wings where the eastern wing side is facing to "Blenduk" Church and northern wing side positioned in perpendicular line against "Blenduk" Church site. The eastern wing side is a three-storey building that is placed in a set-back position against the main street and the northern wing side is a two-storey building that is situated more closer to the main street.


The main entry is situated in an internal corner side in-between these two blcks of building and its position is elaborated with the existence of a big roof dome over. The 'L-shape' building configuration creates an internal open spaces and makes everybody who walks in front of the building can properly see the beauty and richness of building facade detailing.



Obviously, this building is another great works of Thomas Karsten, the Dutch Architect who is noted in the history as an Architect who also designed the famous Old Dutch Colonial Building in Semarang City. The building could be identified as the tallest building that prominently found in the middle of old city area. As mentioned in history notes, this might be related with its original function as an Old City Hall during Dutch Colonial Era.