Its predecessor, Djawatan Kereta Api, was seized every rail transport infrastructures and offices from Dutch occupation.

[1][2] The Javanese word lawang sewu is a nickname for the building, which means "a thousand doors".

[6][4] There are two identical towers on A building, which were originally used to store water, each with a capacity of 7,000 litres (1,800 US gal).

[7] There was also once a tunnel connecting A building to several other sites in the city, including the governor's mansion and the harbour.

[9] Similar with Dutch Rationalism, the style is the result of the attempt to develop new solutions to integrate traditional precedents (classicism) with new technological possibilities.

[7] Simon Marcus Gower, writing in The Jakarta Post, noted it as being "dark and evidently sick.

[3] Future plans include transforming Building B into office space, a food court, and even a gym.

[12] In late 2013, the Semarang city government announced plans to eliminate the building's "spooky image" in order to attract more visitors.

This was to encompass a reimagining of the site as a place for social and cultural activities, supported by renovations of the building.

According to Michael G. Vann, "decades of neglect" resulted in the abandoned building becoming subject to rumors, and "Ghost stories multiplied as Lawang Sewu truly began to look the part of a haunted house".