Rajawali Nusindo Building at 11th Mpu Tantular Street

This is just another old building at Mpu Tantular Street, a Street that is situated in line with mBerok River. The building is directly located side by side with PTP XV Building, another old building that is described my previous blog post.

A signage is still found on building facade describes that the owner of the building is Rajawali Nusindo, an old conglomerate company that is took-over by the government. What I have found from online notes, this building originally known as Koloniale Bank.

Building facade are found with many arch openings that currently covered with steel trellis to make linear corridors at lower floor terrace and balcony at upper floor are a concealed against pedestrian line. Only wall and windows at the middle part of the building are placed directly against pedestrian side, but no main entry door is found here ( directly facing to the street ).

Kepodang Street View, a Forgotten Street of Old Dutch Colonial City

Kepodang Street and Sendowo street is situated in parallel each other, but Kepodang Street is placed more closer to Blenduk Church and directly situated behind Jiwasraya Building. But, it seem hidden from the prominent old city conservation area around Blenduk Church.

This is also a narrow street, but give the street walker a different feeling with rows of tall old buildings at both sides of the street. A narrow street in the middle of some old two-storey buildings at both sides. A text signage of "anno 1912"is still obviously seen on a facade of an old building. This remind us about a remaining old street and building from Dutch Colonial Era. Just like walking on the street in a remaining abandoned old town in Europe Land.



A street vendor spot is found at a street intersection that sells cocks for fighting. Actually, this is extended place from the neighborhood bird market at Sendowo Street nearby. Meanwhile, a long row of motorbikes parking lot is currently established in other part of the frontage street. Some of pedestrian terrace belong to an old tall building remains as an empty space, if not uses for bike parking space.


Some wild vegetative seem sprout-up over building facade with its roots strongly hold and spread-out over the masonry wall. Will this remaining piece of old colonial town are weather beaten and forgotten?



I have did an online search to find out, what are the original names of some old building have shown on the above photographs. Building have shown as 1st picture is "Toko Soesman" and the 5th picture is "Algemene Verzekering Mij Indische Lloyd". The 6th, 7th and 8th picture are "Nederlandsch-Indische Escompto Maatschappij".

Sendowo Street View; Bird Market and Remaining Pieces of The Old City

Sendowo Street is about 400 meter long of messy street at the outer perimeter of the old city conservation area. Currently, it looks like a concealed backyard belong to the 'old little Netherland' area.


Sendowo Street is accessible from Suari Street (a street that is perpendicularly placed against the famous Blenduk Church), and from the Suari Street intersection we can directly find bird market belong to the street vendors. A small street market under the shadows of remaining abandoned old buildings and pedestrian trees.



I think I found 'old city' become alive and transformed at Sendowo Street in another and different kind of its daily life. It looks alive maybe because the street is partially transformed as a bird market and place for the orange urban minibus passengers find its end route. Rest of that, there are only remaining abandoned aged old buildings keep standing in silence.

An Old Railway Office Building at the Edge of Salt Water Intrusion Swamp

Just a simple old two-storey building that is situated about 600 meters from Tawang Railway Station. The building is directly placed at the intersection of Pengapon Street and Ronggowarsito Street. Nowadays, this building looks as a stand alone piece at the edge of large salt water intrusion swamp.

With reference to a historical note, this building was known as formerly Hoofdkantoor N.V. Semarang–Joana Stoomtram-Maatschappij. A Dutch train company for Semarang-Juwana line. Juwana is a small city at eastern side of Semarang City. This company began in 1882 its business with the opening of the line in Semarang Djoernatan to Djomblang


Tall wooden louvered windows with curved plaster architrave are found at the lower and upper building levels. There is viewing wooden balcony deck surrounding almost at all building sides including its thin round metal support columns and its broken wooden railing.

Windows are also found on the metal roof box, it might be related with the existence of an attic inside the roof box structure. There is a remaining signage board at the balcony that indicates the building function as railway planning and engineering office.

Tawang Railway Station and Hundred Years of Railway History

Tawang Railway Station might be not the first train station, but it supposed to be one of the important railway station ever built to initiate railway history during Dutch Colonial Era in Java Island. The building is situated about half kilometer from Semarang's zero point in front of Central Post Office Building or about one and half kilometer from the light house tower at the harbor side.



The building itself is a great integration of brickworks building and another part of the building in a huge steel structural works. There is a grand main lobby and reservation hall that is enclosed in a big and tall brickworks building in approximately 20 m x 20 m size with a big dome in the middle part of the station building. This main hall is flanked by another two parts of the building in huge 60 m long of steel structural works enclosure at the eastern and western sides. This creates a symmetrical building linear building shape with approximately 150 m long of huge railway station.



Another brickworks enclosures are loosely placed underneath these giant steel structure anclosure and many of railway station amenities and supporting facilities such as control room, offices, retail shops and storages are situated.




Nowadays, this building look in good condition and well preserved. But, there is a latent threat of sea water intrusion that makes this building might be potentially always drown in the middle of sea water flood. This is a repeating disaster that is always happened almost every year during rainy season.

An Abandoned Building at the East-end Side of Merak Street

The building is situated at the east-end side of Merak Street or at the opposite side of the Suara Merdeka Archive Building. It's about 300 meter from Suara Merdeka Archive Building or less than 200 meter from the exit gate of Tawang Railway Station nearby. Actually, this building is always easily visible by everybody who disembarks from railway station area and find the way to go the direction of the center of the city. The building is placed directly at the corner side of streets intersection across a large flood drainage pond in front of Tawang Railway Station.

But unfortunately, the building appearance is not found as good as its setting. the building looks very aged and mostly looks as an abandoned building with wild plants are already grown to cover its roof and many other parts of the building. It seems the building is started to be consumed by dense vegetation that grown from its backyard.

An old banner remind stays over the entry door under the balcony terrace and fortunately some texts still indicates that this building is former the management office of the Old City Conservation Area (BPK2L), a bureau that is ever founded to manage and revitalize Semarang Old City Conservation Area. The building is formerly a Dutch vocational school, known as De Technische School Semarang that is built 1917. 

"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.