Post-August 2025 Riots, Restoration of Grahadi Building's West Wing Begins
“Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is a virtue,” wrote the philosopher Baruch Spinoza.
Almost nine months after being sealed off with fences, the restoration of the west wing of the Grahadi State Building, which was burned during the August 2025 riots, officially began on Wednesday (1/4). The restoration is entirely funded by East Java’s regional budget of Rp12.76 billion.
“The project is not just physical repairs, but a serious effort to preserve historical heritage with a comprehensive scientific approach, following the August 2025 events,” said East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa in Surabaya on Wednesday (1/4).
The west wing of the Grahadi State Building was previously completely destroyed by fire due to the riots on 30 August 2025. Almost all rooms, including the Deputy Governor of East Java Emil Elestianto Dardak’s room, were also burned.
According to her, some materials even have to be imported from abroad, including from Germany, because the required specifications are not yet available domestically. The characteristics of these materials are similar to traditional techniques using a mixture of lime and crushed red brick (bligon).
In addition to maintaining authenticity, the restoration also addresses structural strengthening. The roof frame, previously made of wood, will be replaced with lightweight steel to reduce the load, without changing the building’s visual appearance. “The structure may adapt to modern technology, but the building’s face must remain authentic,” said Khofifah.
On the other hand, the Head of the East Java Housing, Human Settlements, and Spatial Planning Agency, I Nyoman Gunadi, stated that this project has a contract value of Rp12.76 billion sourced from East Java’s APBD. The work is targeted to be completed in 210 calendar days, from 30 March to 25 October 2026. Currently, the initial stages have proceeded as planned.
He explained that before construction began, various stages had been carried out since 2025. Starting from post-fire securing, sorting of historically valuable materials, to technical studies involving various parties.
The study involved the East Java Culture and Tourism Office, Surabaya City Government, Regional XI Cultural Heritage Preservation Centre, cultural heritage expert teams, and the Indonesian Institute of Architects East Java.
Not only that, the technical planning is also supported by cross-disciplinary experts, from structure, mechanical electrical plumbing (MEP), to occupational safety and health (K3). The entire process is carried out in accordance with cultural heritage preservation regulations.
In its design, a ring beam is added as reinforcement between the roof and walls, considering the old construction did not have binding systems like modern buildings.
As a building designated as a cultural heritage by the Surabaya City Government, every intervention on Grahadi must go through recommendations from the preservation expert team.
Khofifah also invited all parties to jointly oversee the restoration process to maintain the building’s historical value. “This is part of preserving our historical identity. We hope the process runs smoothly and the results can serve as an educational facility for the public,” she said.