Old Padang City Hall, Cultural property in Kampung Jawa, Indonesia.
Old Padang City Hall is an administrative building in Kampung Jawa with a four-sided clock tower at one corner and Art Deco elements on its windows and decorative walls. The structure has remained intact despite multiple earthquakes in the region.
Architect Thomas Karsten designed this administrative building in 1931 and construction was completed in 1936. The building served as the city's main administrative center until government offices were relocated elsewhere.
The building faces what was the Plein van Rome, now Lapangan Imam Bonjol, and stood among colonial government offices. Its name in Dutch was Gemeentehuis Padang, and the street it fronts was Raaffweg, renamed Jalan Mohammad Yamin. The first burgemeester, W. M. Ouwerkerk, served from 1928 to 1940, followed by D. Kapteijn until the Japanese arrived in 1942.
The building sits on Jalan Mohammad Yamin in the city center and is accessible to visitors. The central location makes it easy to reach on foot and explore the surrounding neighborhood.
Of the colonial buildings around what was Plein van Rome, only the city hall survives; the police office, prison, post office and telephone office that stood nearby have all been demolished and replaced. The first burgemeester, W. M. Ouwerkerk, was appointed in 1928 and served until 1940.
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