lawang sewu

Building History Lawang Sewu

Schematic design of Lawang Sewu 1901

Sewu Lawang is one of the historic buildings built by the Dutch colonial government, on February 27, 1904. Originally the building was set to be used as Het Hoofdkantoor van de Nederlansch Indische Spoorweg Maatscappij (NIS) or the Office of Private Railway Company NIS. NIS office administration activities previously carried out at the station Samarang NIS. However, the growth of the railway network is quite rapid, and need for increasing the number of technical and administrative personnel are not small by increasing the activity office. One consequence management office at NIS Samarang station is no longer adequate. NIS also rented several buildings owned by an individual as an interim solution. However, it is deemed inefficient. Not to mention the presence of NIS Samarang Station locations are located in the swamps to matters of sanitation and health is an important consideration. Then it was decided to build the administrative offices at the new location. The choice fell to land at that time was located in the suburbs adjacent to the residence of the Resident. It's on the tip Bodjongweg Semarang (now Jalan Youth), at the corner of Meeting and Samarang naar Bodjongweg Kendalweg (road to Kendal). Entrust NIS NIS headquarters building designs in Semarang to Prof. Jacob F. Klinkhamer (TH Delft) and B.J. Ouendag, an architect who lives in Amsterdam. The entire design process carried out in the Netherlands, then the pictures were taken to the city of Semarang. Judging from the blueprint written Lawang Sewu that site plan and building plans have been drawn in Amsterdam in 1903. Similarly, the completeness of his images are made and signed in Amsterdam in 1903.


Sewu Lawang is a building in Semarang, Central Java, which is the office of the Nederlands-Indische Maatschappij Spoorweg or NIS. Built in 1904 and completed in 1907. Located on the first roundabout Tugu Muda called Wilhelminaplein.
Local people call it Lawang Sewu (Thousand Doors) is because the building has a door that very much. In fact, there is no door to a thousand. The building has many windows are tall and wide, so people often take it as a door (mace).

Lawang sewu semarang

Ancient buildings and magnificent two-story after independence used as an office Train Djawatan Repoeblik Indonesia (DKARI) or now PT Indonesian Railways. Moreover once used as the Office of Infrastructure Agency Regional Military Command (Kodam IV / Diponegoro) Regional Office (Regional Office) Ministry of Transportation Central Java. During the struggle the building has its own history that is when the incident took place five days of fighting in Semarang (14 October to 19 October 1945). This old building into a great battle sites between youth Amka or the Young Railway against Kempetai and Kidobutai, Japan. Therefore Semarang City Government Decree No. mayor. 650/50/1992, enter Lawang Sewu as one of the 102 ancient or historic buildings in the city of Semarang that should be protected.
Currently, the old building has undergone a phase of conservation and revitalization undertaken by Conservation Unit PT objects and historic buildings Railways Persero