Heritage Corner

Every second week of September is the Open Monument weekend in the Netherlands. In 2011 I have chosen Rotterdam to explore. First to Van Nelle Ontwerpfabriek, a former factory of tea, coffee and tobacco. Second, to Llyodkwartier or haven area of Rotterdam. Llyodkwartier is an amazing renewal project from the point of number of buildings, variations and approaches. It is too much to absorb in one afternoon, but I managed to visit four objects : two appartments in a former warehouse Sint Job, a house in a former office building and a hotel in a former electrical installation building. I copied info on the Open Monument Day from their website www.openmonumentendag.nl This year Open Monumentendag - the Dutch Heritage Day - celebrates its 25th anniversary. This anniversary year is marked with a contemporary theme: Reuse of Historic Buildings. The theme features historic buildings that have been given a new function, a new purpose, a new lease of life. In the weekend of 10 and 11 September 2

Belitung terkenal karena timahnya. Pada zaman Hindia-Belanda, tepatnya sejak 1860 didirikan NV Billiton Maatschappij , untuk mengeksplorasi timah dan hasilnya diekspor ke Belanda. Di kota yang bernama Arnhem, Belanda, timah itu diolah dan diekspor ke berbagai negara. Produksi timah dari pabrik pengolahan yang bernama Hollandsche Metallurgische Bedrijven tersebut (lebih populer disebut "Billiton" atau "Pabrik Timah") memenuhi seperlima kebutuhan timah di dunia saat itu, sekitar tahun1940-an. "Billiton" masih aktif hingga tahun 1984 namun dengan adanya krisis timah dan polusi lingkungan maka akhirnya perlahan-lahan produksinya menurun dan ditutup tahun 1994. Sumber foto : Gelders Archief, Arnhem

Enkhuizen is an old port city in North Holland which was used to be based for the Dutch Indies Trading Company (VOC). More info on the city : www.vvvenkhuizen.nl (they have English version, too). But what I like when I visit a place is the street furniture. Here I took some pictures from Enkhuizen.

Menyambung diskusi tentang ruh bangunan bersejarah dengan menghidupkan berbagai aktivitas, prinsip yang sama juga berlaku untuk revitalisasi obyek-obyek bersejarah lain. Bangunan atau bentuk fisik lain semata-mata adalah wadah. Yang kita ingin perkenalkan pada masyarakat adalah nilai-nilai sejarahnya. Caranya? Dengan melakukan aktivitas, bisa berupa simulasi aktivitas pada masa lalu atau aktivitas edukatif lain. Aktivitas ini semakin penting lagi jika kita memberi fungsi baru berupa museum pada bangunan bersejarah. Museum tanpa aktivitas adalah museum yang pasif dan bagi anak-anak cenderung tidak menarik. Di bawah ini beberapa contoh aktivitas yang dilakukan di atas tram dan gerbong antik antara Hoorn dan Medemblik dan aktivitas yang dilakukan di Museum Bakeri di Medemblik. Anak-anak khususnya melakukan simulasi kegiatan bagaimana pengangkutan barang di masa lalu dengan menggunakan gerbong kereta api. Sukarelawan dengan kostum petugas pos giro yang melayani

As an Indonesian who lives in the Netherlands, sometimes I am amazed how much related these two countries until now. I can find a glimpse of it very often and everywhere like this poster in Utrecht. It is summarized as "Inspiring Indonesia..an exhibition of paintings and painted porceleins in Zeist by two Dutch artists."

When foreigners come to the Netherlands for the first time, they want to see icons of the country. Famous icons like, Windmills..... Clogs and how to make them by a Dutch young boy in a traditional custom.... ....or a Dutch girl with a touch of traditionality....... When millions of people want to do it then this need should be accomodated in an organized way. The Dutch know how to this. They lead the tourists to flow to Zaanse Schaan, a village about 20 kilometer outside Amsterdam, just 20 minutes by car without traffic jam. In this village, the tourists can see most of Dutch icons in one go: windmills, clogs making, cheese making by girls in traditional dresses, taking a short boat trip along canals, visiting museums, tasting the Dutch pancakes and don't forget, buying souvenirs, from diamonds to keyrings. There is one more specific about Zaanse Schaan, the tourists will smell chocolate all over the place (except inside the windmills and other buildings) because a chocolate fact

This summer the sun doesn't come too often to the Netherlands, we have a lot of rainy and grey days. But luckily the Netherlands is a country with the highest density of museums. So it is perfect to visit museums on a rainy day. One of the most interesting museum for me is the Gevangenismuseum or the Prison Museum in Veenhuizen. On 18 May 1975 the first Prison Museum in Veenhuizen was open and located in a concrete shed. This was possible because of a person named Standhart had passions to collect stuff and information. Thirty years later the National Prison Museum opened its door in a new location, a place where the prisoners were forced to work, a building from 1823, that was completely restored. Over the years the Museum becomes more professional and now has 24 staff, 90 volunteers and an active members organization. In 2007 this museum was chosen as the best historic museum of the Netherlands and in 2009 reached the highest record of visitors, around one hundred thousand people

Pelestarian bangunan bersejarah di Indonesia identik dengan dana yang besar. Akibatnya, sedikit sekali bangunan bersejarah yang dilestarikan. Pertanyaannya apakah pelestarian memang selalu harus dimulai dengan perbaikan fisik yang memakan dana relatif besar? Jawabannya adalah tidak selalu harus demikian. Perbaikan fisik pada tahap awal perlu dilakukan sebatas keamanan dan kenyamanan untuk memungkinkan dilakukannya berbagai aktivitas di dalam suatu gedung. Aktivitas itulah yang lebih perlu dipikirkan, didorong dan dilakukan secara terus menerus. Aktivitas itulah yang akan mengembalikan ruh sejarah suatu bangunan. Aktivitas itulah yang kembali mengingatkan mengapa kita ingin melestarikan suatu bangunan. Tanpa aktivitas yang terencana dan berkesinambungan maka pelestarian bangunan bersejarah hanya akan menjadi sebuah proyek, tanpa ruh dan tanpa rasa, sekalipun kelak kita mengubahnya menjadi sebuah museum. Cara berpikir yang mengutamakan perbaikan fisik daripada aktivitas dalam konteks pel

Amsterdam Southeast has metro service which has been in operation for about 30 years. The metro is rather old, but not only that. Graffiti is one of big problem. It makes the metro looks dirty. Cleaners have to work hard from time to time to clean up the graffiti. The new metro is said to come soon but before it comes there must be a solution to refresh the old metro and to combat the graffity. The solution is to invite artists to put their designs as a kind of wallpapers inside the metro. Usually the designs are busy enough so hardly place for graffiti or has strong colours so even graffiti wouldn't be able to attract attention from the passegers. Smart solution!