Berlage in Surabaya: Het kantoor van de Algemeene als synthese van moderne architectuur, 'bouwwijze van Indië' en regionale decoratie

The first building designed by H.P. Berlage (1856-1934) in Indonesia is located in Surabaya. He designed it for the Algemeene Maatschappij van Levensverzekering en Lijfrente (‘de Algemeene’) between 1898 and 1900. It is a striking building, partly due to the tile tableau by Jan Toorop (1858-1928) on the facade and the two entrance sculptures by Joseph Mendes da Costa (1863-1939), from which it derives its current Indonesian nickname: Gedung Singa, the lion building. Architectural historians often consider the building to be of minor importance within Berlages oeuvre. It is mentioned in the literature, albeit with varying qualifications. This article is based on new archival research into the origin and significance of this building, which refutes the previously prevailing view that the design was primarily the work of Marius J. Hulswit (1862-1921). In addition, detailed xamination of historical images has provided new insight into the striking original decoration of the facade. Around 1900, the Algemeene was the largest life insurer in the Netherlands. The Dutch East Indies was their most important market outside the Netherlands, with the cosmopolitan city of Surabaya as their headquarters. Their prominent position was reflected in high-quality ‘promonotianal buildings’ that stood out in the streetscape. The fact that a well-known architect such as Berlage had been commissioned for this purpose only added to this effect. After initially renting an office in the old city’s Chinese quarter, the company sought to erect a building of its own in Surabaya. Contact had already been made with Berlage in 1895, but shortly afterwards the company approached Marius J. Hulswit, a Dutch architect and contractor based in Surabaya. Hulswit submitted his design in 1898. Berlage, adviser to the Algemeene, rejected the design. In addition to practical objections, he had serious objections to the style of the facade design: too European and petty bourgeois. The client followed Berlages advice. Hulswit was thanked and the commission went to Berlage. Berlage drew up a completely new plan. His lack of experience in building in the tropics was compensated for by the necessary know-how within the Algemeene and of his advisers in Surabaya. When, after major delays, W.H. Scheffer, a contractor from The Hague with extensive tropical experience, took on the construction in November 1900, the realization of Berlage’s design gained momentum. The building was completed in May 1902. It contained both familiar Berlage features and stylistic and technical innovations. The admission of light, fresh air and shading made the building tropical-proof, while the decoration contained motifs borrowed from indigenous buildings. Where Toorops tile tableau and Mendes da Costa’s entrance sculptures symbolize the role of the Algemeene as a life insurer in the colony, the integration of indigenous motifs seems to be an early and up to that point unique tribute to Indonesian culture. The building in Surabaya is the first manifestation of the new architectural style that Berlage advocated for the Dutch East Indies, analogous to his ideas for a new architecture in the Netherlands.