Analisis SWOT Sebagai Dasar Identifikasi Faktor Pelestarian Gedung Lonsum, Kota Medan

Abstract

This study examines the London Sumatra (Lonsum) Building in Medan, a colonial-era office building erected in 1914 that has been recommended as a provincial cultural heritage building of North Sumatra. The building is historically significant as the former office of Harrison & Crossfield Ltd., a British rubber trading company, and is known as the first building in Sumatra equipped with a mechanical lift. This research aims to identify the internal and external factors influencing the preservation of the Lonsum Building through a qualitative SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) approach. Data were obtained through documentation studies, field observation, and a preliminary community perception survey. The results show that the building possesses strong historical, architectural, scientific, and authenticity values that support its designation as cultural heritage, while it also faces internal constraints related to conservation regulation and maintenance costs, alongside external opportunities from heritage tourism development and threats from urban environmental pressure. This study is limited to the identification of SWOT factors and does not extend to the formulation of preservation strategies.