Schoemaker and the old Town

Take a stroll down Jalan Lada in Old Town Jakarta, and you will find a three-story building sure to catch your eye. Painted white with a symmetrical faade, this building's Art Deco style stands out even from a distance.

A year ago, the walls were dull and moldy, with plant tendrils climbing up the sides. Its windows were shattered. The grounds inside, long layered over by dirt, were being used to park food vendor pushcarts. Garbage pickers used the second floor to take their mid-day siestas.