The building was designed by Prof. Jakob F. Klinkhamer and B.J.

Ouendag, an
architect from Amsterdam with a dominant characteristic of curved and simple
elements. The building is designed to resemble the letter L and has a large number of
windows and doors as an air circulation system. Because of the large number of doors,
the people named it Lawang Sewu which means a thousand doors.
In addition to its unique building design, Lawang Sewu has stained glass ornaments
manufactured by Johannes Lourens Schouten. The stained glass tells about the
prosperity and beauty of Java, the Dutch rule over Semarang and Batavia, maritime
cities and the glory of the railroad. Other decorations on Lawang Sewu include pottery
ornaments on the curved plane above the balcony, a small dome on the top of the tower
which is covered with copper, and the spire is decorated with bronze.

Currently the Lawang Sewu Building is used as a museum that presents various
collections from time to time for railways in Indonesia. The collections on display
include: Alkmaar collections, Edmonson machines, Computing Machines, Typewriters,
Steam Locomotive Replicas, Securities and others. Lawang Sewu presents the process
of restoring the Lawang Sewu building which consists of photos, videos, and restoration
materials. Approaching the exit, there is a library filled with books about trains.
In addition to being a historical tourist spot, Lawang Sewu Building can also be rented
for exhibition activities, meeting rooms, photo shoots, shooting, wedding parties,
festivals, bazaars, art performances, workshops, etc.