Facing Times - Old Buildings versus Modernization

    Loji is an area in Yogyakarta that consists of large sized buildings with wide yards. Loji in Javanese means large. It is located in the center of the city and near Yogyakarta Palace so that it is easy to be visited by all tourists. It is divided into some sections. They are Loji Kecil, Loji Setan, Big Loji / Fortress Vredeburg, The monument of Serangan Umum, Loji Kebon / Agung Building, Big Post Of Fice, the representative office of Indonesia Bank, and BNI Bank.
    Loji Kecil is from Taman Pintar till Gondomanan crossroad (in the north east of Yogyakarta Palace). These buildings were the area of first resident settlement in Yogyakarta. In Loji Kecil, there are also Societet Militair Building (now it’s used as a exhibition building), Protestanche Kerk (now it becomes Clan Christian Church), and Church of Fransiskus Xaverius Kidul Loji (catholic church). As the effect of large number of renovating in Loji Kecil which aimed to accommodate the form of modern building, a lot of buildings that are still original are very few.
    Not too far from the location of Loji Kecil, there is Loji Setan. Initially this are was named Loji Marlborough, but later it was named Loji Setan, since the buildings are scary (Setan means devil in English). First, the function was for doing meditation or showroom, but after the independence of Indonesia, this building was used as the office of National Committee of Indonesia (1945 - 1949), office of Defender Department and management of

Conference Cabinet (1948), and now it’s used as the office of People Representative Board of Yogyakarta.
   The oldest loji in this region is called Loji Besar (Big Loji) or also well known as Vredeburg Fortress. This fortress was built by Sultan in order to complete the Dutch colony’s request. They wanted it because by this fortress they could watch Kraton / the palace more easily. Its essential function was as a defender fortress, but along the time, the function has changed. Its buildings even also have done a lot of renovate. Now this ford becomes Museum Khusus Perjuangan Nasional by the name of Museum Benteng Yogyakarta.
    In the southwest corner of Vredeburg, there is a monument which was built in order to memorize an aggression launched by all combatants of Indonesia to Dutch colony on the 1st of March 1949 which was called Serangan Umum. This monument is then named the monument of Serangan Umum on the 1st March.
    Near Monumen Serangan Umum of the 1st March, there is a palace for president named Agung Building. It’s called Loji Kebon since this building owns the widest yard in this area. This palace consists of 6 special buildings, they are Agung Building ( the main building), Wisma Negara, Wisma

Indraphrasta, Wisma Sawojajar, Wisma Bumiretawu And Wisma Saptapratala. Agung Building that is the main building was finished built at 1869 and until now it still has original architecture. This building the house of the first president of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno, when Yogyakarta became the capital of Indonesia. So, it made Gedung Agung became a historical building as it was the eyewitness of various important events in Yogyakarta.
In the center of Yogyakarta, there are Kantor Pos Besar (Big Post Office), representative office of Indonesia Bank, and BNI Bank. In Dutch epoch, the function of the post office was not different from now. It was used as a post office, to send telegraph, and to speak via telephone. While in the east of the post office, there is a representative office of Indonesia Bank that firstly used as de Indische Bank office. There is also a high rise building which takes place in south of both, that was Asuransi Nill Maattschappij office and De Javasche Bank, but now it’s used as BNI Bank. Those three old buildings are still in good condition and the architecture of their exterior even also does not get much changing. However, by their different function, their interior got a lot of change.