From weapon storage facility to bank
- Jl. Pahlawan No. 120, Surabaya Kota
- Mon-Fri 8am-3pm closed on weekends
- +62 31 3534072
From weapons storage to banking
This building was built as an office building for one of the Dutch conglomerates. During the Japanese occupation (1942-1945), the building was used as storage and workshop of war equipment (Kitahama Butai). Notice the main entrance door, the big size allowed for horse carriages or even cars to pass through the gate
Preserving heritage
Now the building is occupied by a branch of Bank Mandiri, Indonesia’s largest bank. The company has a natural interest in the country’s heritage and you can find many Mandiri branches across the country in heritage buildings. Mandiri does a good job and maintaining the buildings and keeping them accessible for the public.
Postcolonial heritage
On the opposite side of Jl. Pahlawan at #105, you can see an interesting example of post-independence Indonesian architecture: the massive Bank Indonesia building (known as Gedung Bi). Designed by Frederich Silaban, the architect who also designed the famous Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta.
