E. Jam Gadang is the City's Icon
Jam Gadang is a clock tower located in the center of Bukittinggi. This tower has large clocks on four sides so it is called Jam Gadang / Big Clock. Jam Gadang was built in 1926-1927 on the initiative of Hendrik Roelof Rookmaaker, controller/secretary of the city of Fort de Kock. The clock was a gift from Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands to Rookmaaker. The architecture of this clock tower was designed by Yazid Radjo Mangkuto from Koto Gadang. The executor of the construction was Haji Moran with his foreman Sutan Gigi Ameh. The laying of the first stone was carried out by Rookmaaker's first son who was 6 years old at that time.
The figure who also played a role in the establishment of Jam Gadang was A. Datuak Rajo Dilangik. A red brick entrepreneur whose products were used in the construction of Jam Gadang. Pondok bata and the name of his product is DRD brick. The name of the figure A. Dt. Rajo Dilangik was also introduced to the public because so far his name has not been exposed much. Even though he also has an important role as a figure behind the Jam Gadang building, the icon of the city of 86. Khairul Jasmi, a historian and senior journalist, also presented information that this magnificent tower is believed to have used cement in its construction. This is related to the existence of the Semen Padang factory which has been around since 1910. So it is very strong that the cement was also used for this building.
After a year of construction, Jam Gadang was finally inaugurated on July 25, 1927. The construction of Jam Gadang cost around 15,000 Gulden. And the labor cost was another 6,000 Gulden. A fantastic cost, especially since during the construction process it was damaged by the Padang Panjang earthquake. So it had to be renovated and perfected. Several sources explain that to collect such a large amount of funds, a special committee was formed which was also tasked with collecting funds and looking for it. The costs were taken by Pasur Fonds, the management and tax collector of markets in Bukittinggi. This was once a debate because the construction that had cost a lot of money was not in the interests of the people. This clock tower has become the center of everyone's attention. This clock has become an icon of the city even to this day. That is also what caused Jam Gadang to be used as a marker or landmark and also the zero -kilometer point of Bukittinggi City89.
Since its founding, this clock tower has undergone three changes in the shape of its roof. Initially built during the Dutch East Indies era, the roof of the Jam Gadang was in the shape of a round dome and a statue of a rooster on top. The statue of the rooster faces east. Then during the Japanese occupation, the roof was changed to a pagoda shape. Finally, after Indonesia's independence, the roof of the Jam Gadang was changed to a gonjong shape or the typical roof of a Minangkabau traditional house.
The basic size of the Jam Gadang building is 6.5 x 6.5 meters, plus a base size of 4 meters wide stairs. Klokketoren Djam Gadang te Fort de Kock (Jam Gadang Tower at Fort de Kock) is the name given by the colonials at the beginning of the construction of this clock tower. The interior of the 36-meter-high clock tower consists of several levels. With the top level being a place to store the pendulum. The pendulum broke and had to be replaced due to an earthquake in 2007. There are 4 clocks with a diameter of 80 cm each on the Jam Gadang.
The clocks on the Jam Gadang were imported directly from Rotterdam, the Netherlands via the port of Teluk Bayur. This clock is mechanically driven by a machine that is only made in two units in the world, namely Jam Gadang in Bukittinggi and Big Ben in London, England. On the bell, part is written the name of the clock manufacturer, Vortmann Relinghausen. Vortmann is the last name of the clockmaker, Benhard Vortmann while Recklinghausen is the name of a city in Germany where this clock machine was produced in 1892. The construction of Jam Gadang was built without using supporting iron. United with cement mortar, brick arrangement with lime and sand Meanwhile, on the other side of Jam Gadang there was a residential building. From the photos found, it can be ascertained that this Residentiehuis existed before 1867. Now the location of the building has been replaced by the Bung Hatta Palace.
The last renovation carried out on Jam Gadang was in 2010 by the Heritage Conservation Agency hadeesia (5) with the support of the Bukittinggi city government and the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta. The renovation was inaugurated right on the 262nd anniversary of the city of Bukittinggi, December 22, 2010. The initial stage was carried out in July 2018, the Jam Gadang area was revitalized by the Bukittinggi City government. This work cost Rp18 billion. The renovation process was completed in February 2019,
After seeing how Bukittinggi has developed, we can conclude that the main pattern of development of a modern city in its time also occurs here. The main pattern in urban areas will refer to four important things, namely: government centers, public spaces (places for people to interact socially), places of worship, and traditional markets. These four centers are usually close together because each part plays an important role for the others. This must be considered in every city government policy.
F. Seeing Potential and Reading Opportunities
Indonesia's tourism world is an important economic sector in this country. The wealth of nature, culture, history, and various charms are presented in the archipelago. Beautiful coastal areas, green hills and mountains,