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