Old City of Semarang a cause for preservationists' concern
Old City of Semarang a cause for preservationists' concern
By Tarko Sudiarno
SEMARANG (JP): It's mid-afternoon near the Tawang railway
station. Dozens of people are engrossed in their fishing and even
the busy traffic on the street between the station and the large
pond does not seem to disturb them.
The big, muddy pond is not actually intended for people to
spend lazy afternoons trying to catch fish. It's a drainage pool
with a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters, built to catch rainwater
during the wet season. It's because of the pool that people are
still able to enjoy many of the old buildings in the Old City of
Semarang, the historical area of Central Java's capital.
If it were not for the pool, all of the area's old buildings
might have been seriously damaged by flooding.
The Semarang City administration built the pool to save the
Old City from the floods and high tides that are the main enemy
of the Semarang region in general, including the Old City area.
Just half an hour of heavy rain can completely flood buildings in
the area and it's even worse when there is a downpour during high
tide.
Many of the old buildings' foundations and floors have sunk a
few centimeters below the land surface; the main building of the
railway station has reportedly dropped 50 centimeters.
Yet, the water catchment pond, with high-powered water pumps
to divert the water to local canals, is helpful. But it does not
solve the problem completely.
It is just one part of the continuing efforts to save the Old
City from destruction. Much more needs to be done and the state
of many of the old buildings is of great concern.
Homeless people have made some of the buildings their sleeping
places at night and other forces of nature have also exacerbated
the problems. For example, creeping plants occupy almost all the
outside wall of Gedung Murba on Jl. Letjen Suprapto. The
building, which is in the center of the Old City of Semarang and
is currently the office of the local chapter of the Justice and
Unity Party (PKP), is actually an outstanding example of
architecture, but it's splendor has been blighted by the
unrestrained plants and many broken windows.
Unfortunately, Gedung Murba is not an isolated example.
Hundreds of other old buildings in the Old City are also poorly
maintained, such as Lawang Sewu, the old City Hall, Gedangan
Church and Tawang station, as well as buildings in the Candi
area.
Occupying an area of some 70 hectares, the Old City of
Semarang was built in the 1740s by the Dutch colonists and was
one of the fast-growing cities on the north coast of Java. It was
designed as a fortress city, with five main gates and canals
surrounding its precinct.
Anti-Chinese unrest in 1842 led to the destruction of many
buildings, however, the city was rebuilt and expanded in the
process.
Architect Andy Siswanto, of the Old City Foundation (Yakoma),
said that the concept and design of building facades in the Old
City were unique in that they set out to create harmony between
the buildings and the space. There were no fences or sidewalks
separating buildings from the streets and passersby.
He added that the central point for all the buildings in the
area was the Koepelkerk church, locally known as Gereja Blenduk
(swelling church) because the building's dome swells like an
onion.
Changing times
Andy and Yakoma have long struggled to preserve the Old City
despite changing times. They have succeeded in saving several
buildings from the wrecker's ball and paid careful attention to
the area's environmental makeup.
"Some six years ago, the area was just like a devil's city.
Now, although there are still many things to do, the area is in
better condition, thanks to residents' awareness (of
preservation)," Andy said.
He said it was crucial to involve the local community in the
preservation campaign.
"Just expecting the government to take action is pointless
because of its limited funds," he said.
Not everyone has been enthusiastic about preserving a legacy
of the country's colonial past. Andy argued that preserving the
area also meant that part of the nation's history lived on.
"No matter how bitter it was, we should never forget history,"
he said.
Preservation efforts are based on a two-pronged approach of
conservation and revitalization. The former includes restoration,
preservation and construction.
Revitalization is aimed at sprucing up the area by providing
new buildings, especially for business purposes.
"The new buildings, however, should be situated in their
proper place, meaning that they should not disturb the harmony of
the Old City," Andy said.
Inviting businesses into the area is vital for its
revitalization and Andy believes that it is important for
investors to be given the freedom to conduct renovations on old
buildings, which would best suit their business interests.
Yakoma and other heritage groups are pushing for the issuance
of a regional regulation on the preservation of the Old City of
Semarang.
"I do hope the regulation will benefit the local community.
The government, in this case, should act more as an empowering
agent as well as a facilitator for the Old City community than
just as a holder of authority," Andy said.