Architecture

GEDUNG DE VRIES BANDUNG

GEDUNG DE VRIES BANDUNG

Admin Monday, 18 October 2021 12:56

This BUILDING is located on Jalan Asia Afrika, opposite Gedung Merdeka and the Museum of the Asian-African Conference. Previously this building was a convenience store owned by a Dutchman, named Andreas de Vries, who came to Bandung in 1899, and was listed as the 1,500th European resident in Bandung. At the beginning of his arrival, he opened a small grocery store on the edge of Jalan Raya Post (Grote Postweg), to be precise north of Alun-Alun (now Gedung BRI). He then rented a building to the west of the Homann Hotel and moved his business. De Vries shop, which was the first department store in Bandung, became famous throughout the city.

Before becoming Toko De Vries, on this land stood a Dutch house, Indische architectural style, with several pillars in front of the building. In 1879, this building was used by the Societeit Concordia, which is the name of the Preangerplanter association (plantation entrepreneurs in Priangan), and the elite of the City of Bandung. In 1895, Societeit Concordia moved to the building across the street (now Gedung Merdeka), and the old building was converted into Toko De Vries. This convenience store owned by Mr. de Vries provides a variety of necessities, such as food, cloth, shoes, and medicine. Some of them are written on frames, such as sigaren (cigar), kunst boek en apierhandel (art, book, and paper shop). landbouwbenodigdheden (agricultural purposes), venduhouders (auction hall), dranken provisien (alcoholic drinks), porcelain glass (glassware), furniture (furniture). According to another opinion, de Vries is not only a convenience store, but a kind of the first mall in the city of Bandung. The selling area at the De Vries Store was once rented by a clothing store, butcher shop, and car shop. At that time, many socialites in Bandung were subscribed to Toko De Vries. The existence of this department store is suspected to be one of the triggers for the development of Jalan Braga as an area or shopping center.

The De Vries building underwent renovations in 1909 and 1920. The design of the building was handed over to the architectural firm of Edward Cuypers Hulswit. To the east, a tower was built which still exists today. Entering the first decade of the 20th century, the glory of this convenience store began to recede, after the emergence of new, larger and more complete stores, one of which was the Belang Onderling Store on Jalan Braga (1913). After independence, the former De Vries shop building was occupied by the Goodland Photo Studio, then the Pepping Restaurant, and the Padang Restaurant. Then in the 1990s it was not functioning, and was in a state of disrepair. In 2005, this building changed ownership to OCBC NISP. Until 2008, the De Vries Building still looked abandoned. Only in 2010, OCBC NISP received the "green light" from the government to renovate it without changing the original form of the cultural heritage building.

On 29 April 2011, De Vries Building was inaugurated as the office of OCBC NISP Tbk. Not all rooms are used as bank operational areas. The ground floor of the De Vries Building is used as a small museum containing antiques, such as banking instruments used in ancient times. The museum is being considered open to the public. (DOK/PR)

 

Related Feature

img
Architecture Tuesday, 16 May 2023 08:18

SATE TOWER

img
Architecture Saturday, 19 February 2022 07:25

INDONESIAN WOMEN'S LASKAR MONUMENT

img
Architecture Saturday, 19 February 2022 03:44

WEST JAVA PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE MONUMENT

img
Architecture Monday, 14 February 2022 11:39

Fly Over Antapani

img
Architecture Monday, 14 February 2022 11:28

Town Hall