Colonial architecture of Indonesia

Dutch colonial architecture in

Indonesia were built across the
archipelago that once was known as
Dutch East Indies. Most of the better and
permanent colonial era structures are
located in Java and Sumatra, which were
economically considered more important
during the Dutch imperial period.[1] As a
result, there are large number of colonial
buildings concentrated in its cities. Plenty
of old VOC era forts and warehouses are
also scattered throughout the archipelago, Gedung Sate in Bandung shows colonial attempt to achieve a native
particularly around Maluku Islands and Indonesian architectural fusion between local Javanese, ancient
Sulawesi. There are three Dutch colonial Hindu-Buddhist architecture of Indonesia, and western style.
architectural styles:

Old Indies Style

Indies Empire style
New Indies Style

Contents
Early architecture: replicating the mother country
Chinese Influence
Early adaptation to the local environment
19th Century
Twentieth century
The outer islands
In independent Indonesia
Examples
See also
References
Works cited

Early architecture: replicating the mother country

Upon arriving in the East Indies, the Dutch's architecture were mainly derived from knowledge and
workmanship of the home country. On most cases masonry were favored for much of their construction.
Previously timber and its by-products had been almost exclusively used in the Indies, with the exception of
some major religious and palace architecture. During the early period of colonization the Dutch colonies were
mainly ruled by the VOC, who were mainly concerned with functionality of its construction rather than
making structure as prestigious display.[2]
 One of the first major Dutch settlements was Batavia (later Jakarta)
which in the 17th and 18th centuries was a fortified brick and
masonry city built on a low lying terrain.[3] The Dutch settlements in
the 17th century were generally intra-muros, within walled defences
to protect them from attack by other European trade rivals and native
revolt. The fort was both a military base and a center of commerce
and administration.[4] The city was laid out into a grid with blocks
that are divided by canals, complete with a Town Hall and Churches,
Fort Rotterdam in Makassar a typical just like any Dutch city would have been at the time. The houses
Dutch fort of the 17th century. within Batavia are described as being "fairly tall with a narrow façade
and plastered walls inset with crossbar windows provided with rattan
wickerwork for ventilation". And as in the Netherlands they were
mainly terraced houses with small courtyard.[2] Similar behavior of town planning and architecture can be
noted in the development of the VOC port of Semarang in the 18th century.[5]

For almost two centuries, the colonists did little to adapt their European architectural habits to the tropical
climate.[6] In Batavia, for example, they constructed canals through its low-lying terrain, which were fronted
by small-windowed and poorly ventilated row houses, mostly in a Chinese-Dutch hybrid style. The canals
became dumping grounds for noxious waste and sewage and an ideal breeding ground for the anopheles
mosquitos, with malaria and dysentery becoming rife throughout the Dutch East Indies colonial capital.[6] And
by the second half of the 17th century people inside walled Batavia started to build their large countryside
estates and villas alongside the Molenvliet Canal, the best examples to survive are former mansion of Reyner
de Klerk which was built in rigid European style.

Chinese Influence

Both VOC and later Dutch government encourage Chinese

immigration to their colonies in the East Indies, these Chinese were
brought as laborers and many of them ended up as a contractors
during the early development of Batavia. In fact at the early 18th
century Batavia had been described as a "Chinese city", and they had
dominated the trade and economic sector of many VOC outposts
around the East Indies. Many of the main colonial cities have large
number of Chinese shophouses, which incorporated elements of the
Chinese, Dutch and as well as Indigenous, particularly in the
Pintoe Ketjil's Chinese shophouses
ventilation system. Unfortunately many example of these Chinese along Ciliwung River.
dwellings have been largely demolished in favor of cheap modern
small offices. Parts of Surabaya, Medan, Tangerang and Semarang
still has few examples around the Chinatown area. The most eminent example is Tjong A Fie Mansion in
Medan, built in the year 1900 by a rich Chinese businessman Tjong A Fie; and also Candranaya Building in
Jakarta which was built in 1807 by a Kapitan China. The Chinese also had built their ancestral temples in
many cities, mainly in the historic Chinese quarters across the country and in imposingly Chinese style. The
oldest temple to have survived is Kim Tek Ie in Glodok which dates back to 1650.

Early adaptation to the local environment

Although row houses, canals and enclosed solid walls were first thought as protection against tropical diseases
coming from tropical air, years later the Dutch learnt to adapt their architectural style with local building
features (long eaves, verandahs, porticos, large windows and ventilation openings).[7] The Dutch Indies
country houses of the middle 18th century were among the first colonial buildings to incorporate Indonesian
architectural elements and attempt adapting to the climate. The basic form, such as the longitudinal
organisation of spaces and use of joglo and limasan roof structures, was Javanese, but it incorporated
European decorative elements such as neo-classical columns around deep verandahs.[8] The style is known as
Indies Style.

19th Century
At the end of the 19th century, great changes were happening across
much of colonial Indonesia, particularly Java. The VOC have gone
into bankruptcy and its possession were acquired by the Crown of
Netherlands. Economic reform were started by the French-pro
Governor General Daendels, who were appointed in Java to manage
the deteriorating VOC outposts. Daendels popularized the French
neoclassic Empire Style in the Indies, which later became known as
Indies Empire style. Daendels quit the by then already dilapidated
The Palace of Daendels, completed castle of Batavia and expanded a suburb on the satellite town of
in 1828. Weltevreden in the south. Due to trade blockade by the English there
was difficulties in gaining building materials, and thus majority of the
old fortification of Old Batavia were dismantled to build public
buildings of the 19th century style in Batavia. Similarly all the outpost on the outer islands beyond Java have
experienced similar trend of architecture style, however very few of these buildings manage to survive.

In the late 19th century the taste for architecture in Europe have begun shifting to Neo Gothic and Neo
Renaissance, the colony however didn't experience a boom in this style of architecture until later period. It was
in this period also that the number of growing appreciation of indigenous architectural forms; Tawang railway
station (1864) in Semarang features example of a harmonious assimilation of eastern and western ideas.[4] In
1869 Suez Canal have been opened which had increased the volume of ships travelling from Europe to the
East, new ports such as Tanjung Priok and Tanjung Perak were built to accommodate the increasing arriving
ships. And it was also around the same period that Dutch Ethical Policy were implemented for the native of
Dutch East Indies resulting several construction boom in cities. Near the end of 19th century, a major civic
building the Jakarta Cathedral was built in Neo-Gothic style, and on later period several Catholic churches;
such as Surabaya's Kepanjen Church and Malang's Ijen Church, are also built in similar manner. However
Neo Gothic remained stranger in the tropical setting of the Indies and were not as implemented as in British
Raj. While Neo Renaissance can be seen in several buildings such as Blenduk Church of Semarang.

Twentieth century
At the turn of the 20th century there was further significant changes in the colony. The Dutch by this period
have manage to control most of the present day Indonesian border. The Dutch also have implemented the
Dutch Ethical Policy that encourage both entrepreneurial opportunities for Europeans and flow of foreign
investment. There was also increasing interest in exploiting Indonesia's wealth in oil and gas, leading capitalist
to further set an eye on the archipelago and the Dutch to upgrade its infrastructures. Significant improvements
to technology, communications and transportation had brought new wealth to Java's cities and private
enterprise was reaching the countryside.[9] The architectural trend of the colony followed the Metropolis' status
both in economic health and popularized style. At the early 20th century, most of the buildings in the colony
were built in Neo Renaissance style of Europe which was already popularized in the Netherlands by Pierre
Cuypers. His nephew Eduard Cuypers would later traveled to the Indies to design several magnificent offices
for De Javasche Bank across the country. Eduard Cuypers would also establish largest architectural agency in
the East Indies, then called Hulswit-Fermont, Batavia and Ed. Cuypers, Amsterdam.[10] Other prominent
architect such as Berlage designed two buildings strictly in Dutch style such as the Algemene Insurance
company in Surabaya and a building in Batavia.[11] Cosman Citroen also had designed Lawang Sewu in
strikingly European appearance.

However, by the 1920s, the architectural taste have begun to shift in

favor of Rationalism and Modernist movement, particularly there was
Increasing Art Deco architecture design influenced by Berlage. In the
first three decades of the 20th century, the Public Works Department
rolled out major public building and city planning programs. The key
designer was T. Karsten who developed his predecessors' ideas for
incorporating indigenous Indonesian elements into rational European
forms.[12] Bandung which once was described as a "laboratory",[13]
Moojen's NILLMIJ in Batavia, 1912. is of particular note with one of the largest remaining collections of
1920s Art-Deco buildings in the world, with the notable work of
several Dutch architects and planners, including Albert Aalbers,
Thomas Karsten, Henri Maclaine Pont, J. Gerber, and C.P.W. Schoemaker.[14] A large number of train
stations, business hotels, factories and office blocks, hospitals and education institutions were built in this
period. With economic growth and increasing European migration to the colony, there was increasing middle
class population and urbanization from the countryside. To accommodate this growth several modern Garden
Suburb were built across the cities of the Indies such as P.A.J. Moojen's Menteng in Jakarta, T. Karsten's New
Candi Suburb in Semarang, and most of North Bandung.[15]

Various Dutch architect also

made the Indies their
architectural and engineering
playground. This resulted to
the introduction of
architecture style such as
Nieuwe Zakelijkheid, De
Stijl and Amsterdam School,
most of which had survived Ceremonial Hall, Bandung Institute of
This pre-war Bandung home is an and can be observed in Technology, Bandung, by architect
example of 20th century Indonesian design for colonial period Henri Maclaine-Pont.
Dutch Colonial styles offices, churches, public
buildings and villas. Perhaps
the highest form of "enlightenment" can be seen in Villa Isola,
designed by Schoemaker in Bandung. Several architect such as C.P.W. Schoemaker and H.M. Pont also made
an attempt on modernizing the indigenous architecture of Indonesia, by incorporating it with western
modernity, paving the way for the creation of vernacular New Indies Style. The development of this
architecture trend paralleled the growth of Delft School of the Netherlands. Bandung Institute of Technology,
Pasar Gede of Solo and Pohsarang Church in Kediri are clear example of this experiment.

The attempt of conforming with the local architecture had already began since the early VOC period as
appeared in the Indies Style. The differences is whereas the Indies Style country houses were essentially
Indonesian houses with European trim, by the early 20th century, the trend was for modernist influences—
such as art-deco—being expressed in essentially European buildings with Indonesian trim (such as the pictured
home's high-pitched roofs with Javan ridge details and often with more consideration for air ventilation).
Practical measures carried over from the earlier Indies Style country houses, which responded to the
Indonesian climate, included overhanging eaves, larger windows and ventilation in the walls.[16]

The outer islands

There are plenty of colonial architecture and infrastructure that remain
functional beyond Java. The island of Sumatra in particular benefited
from its abundance of oil and tin, in comparison to Java's mostly
plantation based economy. The best buildings are concentrated in
West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh. Medan was once known as
"Parijs van Sumatra" and have a large number of Art Deco colonial
offices concentrated around Kesawan Square. For the European and
upper class local population the Dutch had planned and built the
Garden Suburb of Polonia.[17] Moorish Revival architecture also
paved their way to Sumatra's Mosque design. The Maimun Palace
and Great Mosque of Medan are beautiful example of the movement.
There are large concentration of colonial offices, public buildings and Art Deco in Medan appeared in the
villas in the city of Padang, Sawahlunto, Bukittingi and Banda Aceh, former building of AVROS, now the
all of which was major economic cities in colonial Sumatra. Other Sumatra Planters Association (BKS
parts of Sumatra also include Bangka-Belitung Islands Regency (a PPS).
major source of Tin), and the pepper port of Bengkulu.

In Makassar, which once was considered the gateway for Eastern province, has several fine colonial era
buildings. The best surviving example of colonial buildings is Fort Rotterdam, followed by the old Cityhall,
Court of Justice and Harmonie Society building that now function as an art gallery. Large scale demolition of
colonial era old town took place in Makassar as a result of its harbor expansion.

Colonial rule was never as extensive on the island of Bali as it was on Java— it was only in 1906, for
example, that the Dutch gained full control of the island—and consequently the island only has a limited stock
of colonial architecture. Singaraja, the island's former colonial capital and port, has a number of art-deco
kantor style homes, tree-lined streets and dilapidated warehouses. The hill town of Munduk, a town amongst
plantations established by the Dutch, is Bali's only other significant group of colonial architecture; a number of
mini mansions in the Balinese-Dutch style still survive.[18]

There are numerous forts built by European powers across the archipelago, but the highest concentration are
located around the Maluku Islands. Most are built the early colonial era to protect Dutch interest in the spice
trade. There is particularly a high concentration of colonial buildings in Banda Neira, Saparua, and Nusa Laut,
with several 17-18th century churches and fortification. Ambon City was once renowned for its "colonial
charm" and stock of Dutch buildings; however, the city was largely destroyed during World War II.

In independent Indonesia
The lack of development due to the Great Depression, the turmoil of the Second World War and Indonesia's
independence struggle of the 1940s, and economic stagnation during the politically turbulent 1950s and 60s,
meant that much colonial architecture has been preserved through to recent decades.[19] Although colonial
homes were almost always the preserve of the wealthy Dutch, Indonesian and Chinese elites, and such
buildings in general are unavoidably linked with European colonialism, the styles were often rich and creative
combinations of two cultures, so much so that the homes remain sought after into 21st century.[8] Native
architecture was arguably more influenced by the new European ideas than colonial architecture was
influenced by Indonesian styles; and these Western elements continue to be a dominant influence on
Indonesia's built environment today.

Examples
Below are list of articles featuring Dutch colonial architecture across Indonesia.
 Bandung
List of colonial buildings in Bandung
Bogor
Architecture of Bogor
Cirebon
Cirebon City Hall
Cirebon railway station
Jakarta
Colonial architecture in Jakarta
Makassar
Colonial architecture in Makassar
Medan
Colonial architecture in Medan
Padang
Colonial era architecture in Padang
Semarang
Dutch architecture in Semarang
Surabaya
Colonial architecture of Surabaya

See also
Architecture of Indonesia
Colonial architecture in Southeast Asia
List of church buildings in Indonesia
Rumah adat
Landhuis
Indies Empire style
New Indies Style
Malay houses
Sino-Portuguese architecture
Bahay kubo
Bahay na bato

References
1. http://www.colonialarchitectureproject.org/index?/category/3003-indonesia
2. http://www.pac-nl.org/downloads/colonialarchitectureinindonesia.pdf
3. Schoppert & Damais 1997, pp. 38-39.
4. Tjahjono 1998, pp. 105.
 5. Pratiwo. (2005). The City Planning of Semarang 1900–1970. In F. Colombijn, M. Barwegen, P.
Basundoro & J. A. Khusyairi (Eds.), Old City, New City: The History of the Indonesian City
Before and After Independence. Yogyakarta: Penerbit Ombak.
6. Dawson, B., Gillow, J., The Traditional Architecture of Indonesia, p. 8, 1994 Thames and
Hudson Ltd, London, ISBN 0-500-34132-X
7. W. Wangsadinata and T.K. Djajasudarma (1995). "Architectural Design Consideration for
Modern Buildings in Indonesia" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070703053406/http://www.wirat
man.co.id/ximages/architecture.pdf) (PDF). INDOBEX Conf. on Building Construction
Technology for the Future: Construction Technology for Highrises & Intelligence Buildings.
Jakarta. Archived from the original (http://www.wiratman.co.id/ximages/architecture.pdf) (PDF)
on 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
8. Schoppert & Damais 1997, pp. 72-77.
9. Schoppert & Damais 1997, pp. 102-103.
10. Bambang Irawan (31 May 2014). "Berlage on Aperdi/Algemeene Building in Surabaya" (https://
web.archive.org/web/20151222083359/http://ayorek.org/en/2014/05/berlage-aperdialgemeene-
building-surabaya/#sthash.Ry46FBIW.Ywww8tu9.dpbs). Ayorek.org. Translated by Emily
Wallace. Ayorek.org. Archived from the original (http://ayorek.org/en/2014/05/berlage-aperdialg
emeene-building-surabaya/#sthash.Ry46FBIW.Ywww8tu9.dpbs) on 22 December 2015.
Retrieved 16 September 2015.
11. "Amsterdam Elsewhere | Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia" (https://web.archive.org/
web/20160304130514/http://indonesia.nlembassy.org/news/2015/05/amsterdam-elsewhere.ht
ml). Archived from the original (http://indonesia.nlembassy.org/news/2015/05/amsterdam-elsew
here.html) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
12. Vickers (2005), pp 23-25
13. "Bandung Heritage Building Architecture" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150812015604/http://
bandungsae.com/buildet). Archived from the original (http://bandungsae.com/buildet) on 2015-
08-12. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
14. Schoppert & Damais 1997, pp. 102-105.
15. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150924034518/http://www.iias.nl/sites/default/fi
les/IIAS_NL57_070809.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (http://www.iias.nl/sites/default/fil
es/IIAS_NL57_070809.pdf) (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
16. Schoppert & Damais 1997, pp. 104-105.
17. Medan Het Parijs van Sumatra » Balai Pelestarian Nilai Budaya Aceh (http://kebudayaan.kemd
ikbud.go.id/bpnbaceh/2013/07/28/medan-het-parijs-van-sumatra/)
18. Wijaya, M. (2002). Architecture of Bali. Singapore: Archipelago Press & Wijaya Words Ltd.
pp. 201 & 202. ISBN 981-4068-25-X.
19. Schoppert & Damais 1997, p. 105.

Works cited
Gunawan Tjahjono, ed. (1998). Architecture (https://archive.org/details/architecture00indo).
Indonesian Heritage. 6. Singapore: Archipelago Press. ISBN 9813018305.
Schoppert, P.; Damais, S. (1997). Java Style. Paris: Didier Millet. ISBN 9625932321.

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