Adaptive Reuse of Maritime Infrastructure: Case Study of Colonial Harbormaster Towers in Java’s Port Cities

The north coast of Java has been well known to overseas traders as a hub for commodities, as well as spices brought from the Spice Islands (now Maluku Islands or the Moluccas). By the early nineteenth century, the Dutch government took control of the maritime trade in the region through the Dutch East India Company and developed the major port cities of Jakarta (formerly Batavia), Surabaya and Semarang, where the remnants of the colonial past continue to exist. After Indonesia’s independence, several colonial port structures, such as the harbormaster tower and its riverside facilities, were neglected until recently, when cities began programs to restore them. This article examines the preservation and adaptive reuse of historic towers in Java’s three major port cities and attempts to revive them amid the climate crisis challenges.