Toko Merah (Red Shop), Jakarta

Toko Merah, meaning "Red Shop" in Indonesian, is a historic Dutch colonial landmark situated in Jakarta's Old Town. Constructed in 1730, it is one of the oldest structures in Jakarta and stands on a 2,471 square meter plot on the west side of the primary canal, Kali Besar. The building's red hue is the reason behind its current name.

The building was initially constructed as the residence of Gustaaf Willem, Baron van Imhoff, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1743 to 1750. It served as the oldest navy academy in Asia, the Dutch Academie de Marine, from 1743 to 1755. Over time, the ownership of the building changed hands several times. It served as the dwelling of various Governors-General of the Dutch East Indies.

Between 1786 and 1808, the building was converted into a hotel. During this period, additional structures such as rows of carriage houses and stables were built to accommodate the hotel's eight carriages and sixteen horses. These ancillary buildings were subsequently transformed into row houses. The building also provided six boats on the Kali Besar Channel for transporting goods from Sunda Kelapa harbor.

In 1851, Oey Liauw Kong, Chinese-Indonesian high official, acquired the building for use as his residence and store. He painted it red, and it was henceforth known as Toko Merah (Red Shop). The building underwent restoration by J.F. van Hoytema in 1920 and subsequently served as the office for the Bank of India (Bank voor Indië) from 1920 to 1940. Following that, it was utilized as the office of an international Dutch-owned company.

The architectural style of the building conforms to the earliest period of Dutch colonial architecture, which is the tropical equivalent of 17th-century Dutch architecture. The building features high sash windows with split shutters and gable roofs typical of Dutch architecture. The structure is solidly built with relatively enclosed structures, which is not particularly well-suited to the tropical climate as compared to the Dutch colonial architecture of the subsequent period in Jakarta.