An Old House Have Transformed to a Food & Beverage Outlet in Semarang Old City.

 

This is a view of a street intersection in an old city area in Semarang, with a food & beverage outlet is prominently situated as currently is. The picture is taken during my last visit in Semarang.

It is interesting to compare it with a picture I have taken in almost in the same spot, but is taken about ten years ago. The old scenery is documented in my old blog article. Obviously, this food & beverage outlet is converted from an old house which the original appearance could be seen in the following picture below.

It always interesting to make an observation, how new thing is transformed from an old thing. Anyway, the city will always growing and it maybe will also change something in my memory about certain thing.

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 of an Old School Building in Ungaran

 

I was just passing by Semarang-Jogjakarta Street in Ungaran and I was intriguing with a building compound with generous front courtyard. Yes it was just a junior high school building compound, it currently known as SMPN-1 Ungaran. The most interesting part was a building behind the lush trees in the front side, it typically seen as an old building belong to Dutch Colonial Era.

According to sources, the building was originally a Bosopzichtersschool (BOS) or known as a Forest Supervisor School. This building compound is actually situated in the opposite side of a building known as formerly Kweekschool, a school for teacher which is situated across the street. Thus it seem to be an area in Ungaran where educational training related activities took place.

The Story of a Flock of White Storks on the Old Tamarind Trees on The Sidewalk of Srondol Street

 

These photos and videos were probably taken in year of 2004, during my lebaran holiday in Semarang. That means 18 years ago from the time when this blog article was written now. It really is quite a long span of time.

This is just an ordinary everyday sight at that time, if we passed the Srondol Road. A main road that will be passed if someone is going out of town towards Solo or Jogjakarta and vice versa. There are rows of old tamarind trees along the pedestrian sidewalk in front of a military base, where at the top part of the high trees you can see many white storks nesting and flying back and forth. 

I still and always remember this place, very long ago those birds were already there nest in the trees. I think this scenery was very unique and full of memories that me want to just simply capture it.

Just a few days ago, I have virtual discussion with an old friend from Semarang and he said that now we can't see that scenery anymore. No more, white storks nesting and flying above the rows of those old tamarind trees........

A Snapshot of an Old Villa at Tumpang Street Semarang

 

The picture is taken in 2013, almost nine years ago from this blog article is written to now. The old building is situated in Candi, a hilly area of Semarang City. In front of the house is Tumpang Street, a steep uphill or downhill road. 

This house existence is well-known among old building observers. Many sources state that this building is built around 1930, and was designed by first generation of local architect. The architect is known as Liem Bwan Tjie. Originally, the house is a villa owned by Dr. Ir Han Tiauw Tjong family.

A Snapshot of a Coffee House in Semarang Old City Area

Just to record my travel experience during my last visit in Semarang City. My train was arriving in early morning and decided to enjoy a walkthrough session around the area nearby the Tawang Train Station. Of course, visiting nearby old city area is an interesting destination. 

I just decided to enter the old city area from east-end point of access, and the first interesting point is the appearance of this coffee house. Maybe this is the first popular coffee house in the old city area which is opened about five years ago. Currently become quite famous place for culinary destination and a popular place for hangout. Some community activities and events are also held in this place. This place can be reach about ten minutes walking from Tawang Train Station.

Nowadays, this spot is just an option among several coffee shops that can be found in the old city area. All of them are converting and revitalizing the existing old colonial buildings into new functions. 

Stadion Diponegoro Semarang

During Dutch Colonial era, this sport stadium known as "Het Stadion te Semarang" or "Stadion Semarang". It already mentioned in a kind of periodical architectural publication dated on September 1934 that is published by Association of Local Engineers. Please also note, that there is another street named as Jl. Ki Mangun Sarkoro in Semarang City, and this sport stadium location is the one that is closer to the famous Simpang Lima area.

There is also noted a historical international moment in the year of 1934, when Lord Baden Powell, who known as the founder of modern scouting movement, locally know as "Pramuka" movement, visited to this sport stadium as part of his world tour.

Another monumental historical documentation regarding this sport stadium is also found in a book of "Semarang, Beeld van Stad". In this photo compilation book, there is found an aerial photo of this sport stadium in front of Semarang old swimming pool building (gemeentelijk zwembad Semarang). The aerial photo is described as aerial photo of Eastern Semarang area taken in the year of 1945, that include area of Karangsari, Karangturi, Pasar Malam and also Stadion Semarang.

There is a remaining cycling track including feature steeply banked oval tracks with leaning or tilting tracks at north-end and south-end sides of the stadium. Meanwhile the spectator seating tribune areas are situated at east-end and west-end sides of the stadium. And of course, central area is dedicated as football playing area. Athletic track is basically provided around the football court.

There are four steel lighting towers that are standing still at four corner sides of this sport stadium. Originally, the stadium is equipped with spotlights that provide illumination level of 32,000 watt.

The stadium originally designed to accomodate about 8,000 standing spectators and 1,000 sitting spectators and another special tribune in the center part that accomodate 400 spectators. Maybe the original fixed wooden benches are already gone from its places. This stadium is designed as public facility that encourage all Semarang citizen, including the student to enjoy sport activities that may increasing their physical health.

Nowadays, this sport stadium is known as Stadion Diponegoro, a military sport facility. Oficially this is the homeground of the local army footbal club and a center of military physical testing and training activities. The stadium management allow public to use this facility, and I think in recent previous days, this stadium is also well-known as a venue for musical concerts and other various type of public events.

Nowadays, when we talk about this Stadion Diponegoro, we will always relate the place with the existence of second hand book seller kiosks that are located around external perimeter of the sport stadium wall. This is quite popular place for local citizen to find and buy various kinds of used books and magazines.