Inside the Jiwaraya (NILMIJ) Semarang Building

The PC tile floor, formed a word "NILLMY" on the front terrace of Jiwasraya office Building, Kota Lama, Semarang.

A foggy morning on the beginning of December, and my friends invite me accompany her visiting the Jiwasraya office, or NILLMIJ, on the old town. She wanna make a coverage about this, and since I like this kinda activity, she wishes I could enrich the information. Messed up with the assignment of Economic International subject, I nearly refused this invitation, but after all with a little struggle finishing the assignment with an extra effort, Finally, I could go, and even the rain are make us wet, I have no regret at all ;)

A stained glass on the main hall, looks
so fascinated around the circular stairs,
and the artistic lamp.

I have posted abouth this building before here, but I haven’t entered the building and saw how inside. My friends, named Kuni was a campus journalist, so she have a press card as a legality to access any  information, what a smart card! Then we welcomed by floor structure formed word “NILLMY” in the terrace. Moving inside to the building, we accepted by Mr. Sis, a Jiwasraya employee then he showed also explained us about the story inside. Begin with the main hall, its already stacked with the new floor, continued with the fascinating circular stairs, with its artistic lamp, but actually its added on 1983. But we could see the original floor, on the 3rd floor, and on the balcony. I don’t know why, the floor on the old building always stacked with the brand new ceramic tile beside let it use the PC tile which for me, its more artictic then the ceramic tile.

Moving to the 2nd floor, Mr. Sis showed us the location where the elevator is “lying”. This was the first elevator in Indonesia, and this elevator, since Mr.Sis is in service in this office is already not active, even another source Mr.Mukidi a guard of this office told that on 1974 according the story of his senior, the elevator is already unactived. I looked nearly and found this elevator are OTIS Elevator product, one’s of the leading elevator company in the world until now. 

An old elevator, on the 2nd floor, this
was the first elevator in Indonesia (1916)

Then moving to the highest level, on the 3rd floor , the floor since the staircase is still in orginal form, with the PC tile. And yap we moving to the top balcony, and woooow! The scenery is so great, the view of old town from the high level. But also we saw, a real threat facing by this building on the next couple years. Due to the rain, and its hasn’t been renovated for a long time, the rainwater are absorbed in the structure, and made its fragile, and maybe the worst is the structure could be torned down.

Back to the inside, and prepared to get back, I asked my last question, is there any inauguration plaque in this building? Then Mr.Mukidi replied yes, it is, and he showed us the location, in the wall in front of the cashier. Its demolished on 1995, together with the works to stacked the floor. Mr.Sis also testified, that its formed like a small altar, and its made from the marble. Well its placed in the corner of the building and seems like it will make no interruption among the people who walks through this, so, why it must be demolished? At last once again I just only said, what a pity!

Looking down from the top floor (3rd floor), the main hall circled with circullated stair,
and on the left side of the sofa, below the stairs is where the inauguration plaque situated.