“A little art-deco gem”

Bandung has experienced a new burst of popularity as a shopping destination for Malaysian tourists flying in on a budget airline. Yet Bandung's main tourist drawcard remains its astonishing collection of colonial architecture. The city is famous amongst architects for its 'tropical art-deco' heritage, dating from the 1920's and 1930's. At this time a number of ingenious Dutch architects were designing buildings in the latest European styles and adapting them to the tropical climate. Modern Bandung may be a far cry from its heyday as the 'Paris of Java' but it still boasts several hundred colonial buildings and these are well worth seeking out.

Tiga Warna dates from 1938 and is designed in the 'ocean liner' school of art-deco, with long lines and rounded curves. It is a stunning piece of modernist architecture with bright airy spaces, a fine porch and stylish curves. It is something right out of an architectural design magazine. Until a couple of years ago it remained derelict but it has now been occupied by a bank and the restoration has been sensitive. The building has been repainted but its design has been left untouched. You can find this beautiful art-deco building on the corner of Jalan Juanda and Jalan Sultan Agung.