Rajapatni.com: Surabaya (27/8/24) – For many years the Singa building, whose former official name was ꧌ꦥꦼꦫꦸꦱꦲꦴꦤ꧀꧍ De Algemeene Lijf-en-Levensverzekerings Maatschappij, has attracted the attention of activists and observers of architect ꧌ꦲꦺꦤ꧀ꦢꦿꦶꦏ꧀ꦥꦺꦠꦿꦸꦱ꧀ꦧꦺꦂꦭꦏ꦳ꦼ꧍ Hendrik Petrus Berlage, especially those in the Netherlands and Europe. This is mainly because of Berlage’s monumental works, both in Europe and in Indonesia.
In Indonesia there are two buildings. One is in Jakarta and the other is in Surabaya. The Building in Surabaya is much more ꧌ꦌꦑ꦳꧀ꦱꦻꦠꦶꦏ꧀꧍ exotic. The location is on Jalan Jembatan Merah, in the Old City area of Surabaya. The building, which is locally known as the Lion ꧌ꦱꦶꦔ꧍ Building, was the only modern building in the early 20th century in Surabaya.
The building is two stories high and faces ꧌ꦱꦸꦔꦻꦏꦭꦶꦩꦱ꧀꧍ the Kalimas river. This building was built in 1901 and designed by three famous artists who at the same time also worked on monumental building in the Netherlands, Beurs Van Berlage. They were architect ꧌ꦲꦺꦤ꧀ꦢꦿꦶꦏ꧀ꦥꦺꦠꦿꦸꦱ꧀ꦧꦺꦂꦭꦏ꦳ꦼ꧍ Hendrik Petrus Berlage, artist Jan Toorop and sculptor Mendes da Costa.
Jan Toorop’s name appears on the ceramic painting on the building’s facade. Mendes Da Costa’s initials (MDC) appear at the base of the statue in the form of ꧌ꦱꦶꦔ꧍ a Lion. Only the name of Berlage itself is not physically visible on the building. However, it is mentioned in many literature.
When it was built in 1901, the other buildings on the left and right including all the buildings in the European zone ꧌ꦯꦸꦫꦨꦪ꧍ Surabaya and Kota Lama still had 19th century architecture, which was strong with its grandeur pillar pillar style. The colors were predominantly monochrome: black, white and gray. Meanwhile, the De Algemeen Building dared to appear colorful in its ornaments. For example, exposed bricks in building arcs outside and inside, natural stone from ꧌ꦧꦺꦭ꧀ꦒꦶꦪ꧍ Belgium and painted ceramics have been used.
Unfortunately, for many years this building has not been used, and it has been empty. Meanwhile other buildings continue to be active and used. Because it is not used, the condition of the Building is increasingly worrying.
Before it was revitalized in the ꧌ꦏꦺꦴꦠꦭꦩꦯꦸꦫꦨꦪ꧍ Kota Lama Surabaya program, this building was dull and the roof and several walls were overgrown with potentially damaging wild trees. Now in the concept of revitalization of the Old City of Surabaya, the Singa Building looks clean and neat.
But there is still potential for wild trees to grow again because the roots of wild trees are still attached. The young leaves are starting to bloom again like flowers blooming in spring. It is indeed beautiful to be in the ꧌ꦧꦼꦭꦟ꧀ꦝ꧍ Netherlands. But it’s dangerous in Surabaya.
On Saturday, August 24 2024, Noel Van Bemmel, ꧌ꦗꦸꦂꦟꦭꦶꦱ꧀꧍ well-known media journalist in the Netherlands de Volkskrant, together with Ita Surojoyo, who is preparing her second book in Javanese script, targeted the Lion Building as one of the objects of her story. Ita in the second book promotes the icon of the city of Surabaya.
On that occasion, Noel Van Bemmel and ꧌ꦅꦠꦯꦸꦫꦗꦪ꧍ Ita Surojoyo were accompanied by the Head of the Surabaya City Cultural Heritage Expert Team (TACB), ꧌ꦝꦺ꧈ꦌꦂ꧈ꦉꦠ꧀ꦤꦺꦴꦲꦱ꧀ꦠꦶꦪꦤ꧀ꦠꦶ꧍ Dr. Retno Hastijanti.
Noel Van Bemmel updated the existence of the Lion Building as part of sharing information about the Old City of Surabaya following the visit of the Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Lamberts Grijns, on ꧌꧇꧒꧙꧇ꦗꦸꦭꦶ꧇꧒꧐꧒꧔꧇꧍ 29 July 2024.
Meanwhile, ꧌ꦅꦠꦯꦸꦫꦗꦪ꧍ Ita Surojoyo added the Lion Building item as a complement to her Javanese book about historical icons in the city of Surabaya. Ita’s second book presents Surabaya stories written in Javanese script, in Indonesian with English translation. Later, this book will become an ambassador for the city of Surabaya abroad.
Including the story of ꧌ꦒꦼꦣꦸꦁꦱꦶꦔ꧍ Gedung Singa in a book with Javanese script is also the hope of Berlage activist and enthusiast from the Netherlands, Petra Timmer.
“Add Lion Building in your next book. It would be wonderful,” said ꧌ꦥꦺꦠꦿꦠꦶꦩ꧀ꦩꦼꦂ꧍ Petra Timmer at a meeting at the Vintage hotel in the Old City area at the end of February 2024.
Ita Surojoyo also considered it and even had the opportunity to enter the Lion Building with journalist from the Netherlands. After learning about the exoticism of the Lion building, she started to write a narrative for her book.
Clean
As soon as they entered the ꧌ꦒꦼꦣꦸꦁ꧍ building, it was quite pleasant because the condition of the inside of the building looked clean, as if it was ready to be used. The uniqueness of Berlaga’s architecture is visible. The exposed breaks in the arc-shaped partition is very visible. The curved accentuation that characterizes buildings by ꧌ꦧꦺꦂꦭꦏ꦳ꦼ꧍ Berlage, both in Surabaya and in the Netherlands, is visible.
꧌ꦤꦺꦴꦮꦺꦭ꧀꧍ Noel immediately rushed to observe everything in the building, from the interior design, layout to the rooms which are thought to be functional in accordance with the existence of the company, which was using it for the first time. For example, at the back there is a room without a door. After climbing to the top, it turns out there are iron stairs that lead down. Namely to a room that doesn’t have a door.
Full of curiosity, ꧌ꦤꦺꦴꦮꦺꦭ꧀꧍ Noel and his team, ꧌ꦅꦠ꧍ Ita and ꦉꦠ꧀ꦤꦺꦴ Retno went down the circular ꧌ꦩꦼꦭꦶꦁꦏꦂ꧍ stairs and aimed at a room without a door. The room is very dark. Everyone couldn’t see unless they used the lights from their cell phones. Inside this doorless room is a document and archive storage room.
After leaving this dark room, they then went upstairs and headed to the front balcony. From ꦧꦭ꧀ꦏꦺꦴꦤ꧀ the balcony, the view of the Kalimas river and the Red Bridge as well as the road passing in front, the Jembatan Merah Street (formerly Willemskade Straat) is clearly visible and beautiful. Being on the balcony of the ꦒꦼꦝꦸꦁꦱꦶꦔ Lion Building is very rare because it is not easy to enter the building.
Inside this building there is still decorative stained glass that connects the first and second floors. One of the stained glass panels depicts the coat of arms of the City of ꦄꦩ꧀ꦱꦼꦂꦝꦩ꧀ Amsterdam.
In the rooms on the first floor, based on photos from ꦏꦺꦴꦭꦺꦏ꧀ꦱꦶ the collection of the author (ꦤꦤꦁꦥꦸꦂꦮꦤ Nanang Purwono), there used to be a set of tables and chairs, two iron safes, hanging ceiling fans, a lamp and even a sketch to divide the cashier and customer rooms. Now, all those devices are gone. Where to ?
“Even the cat poster is gone!”, Noel spontaneously said via his WA message.
How could it be? (PAR/nng)