Title

Author(s)

Endy Yudho Prasetyo

Affiliation

Delft University of Technology

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/YOGS5392

Keywords

Adaptive Reuse, Dutch Colonial-era Sugar Factories, Industrial Heritage

PP

786-793

How to Cite

Prasetyo, Endy Yudho. “Adaptive Future of Abandoned Dutch Colonial-Era Sugar Factories in Java.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 786–793. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

After reaching its peak in the 1930s, the Dutch-modernized sugar industry in Java declined, leading to the abandonment of numerous factories. Of an estimated 231 factories constructed between the 1830s and 1950s, only 45 remained operational, while the rest had been repurposed, demolished, or abandoned. Their legacy, though rooted in colonial exploitation, is also intertwined with local histories of livelihood and attachment, where these complexes once served as socio-economic anchors that shaped Java’s landscapes and communities.
This study investigates the potential for adaptive reuse of these abandoned sites, repositioning them as active agents of cultural memory, community revitalisation, and sustainable urban futures rather than as passive remnants of colonial industry. Through a combination of literature and archival research, as well as field surveys, the study examines how the architectural, spatial, locational, and social characteristics of these sites reveal potential for transformation.
The findings reveal that viewing these factories through an architectural lens, rather than a purely historical one, exposes their latent capacity for reuse, which is grounded in their scale, spatial adaptability, strategic location, and enduring community ties.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.