This building was formerly called "WHITEAWAY LAIDLAW", a famous building on Jalan Tunjungan. Before becoming the Siola Store, this building was a department store and was often visited by British colonialists to shop. Although it has undergone several renovations to the front, the Siola Building is now occupied by the Surabaya City Government. Siola is the most complete wholesaler under the umbrella of Whiteaway Laidlaw & Co, a world-famous wholesale brand at that time. Siola has been the largest shopping center in the Dutch East Indies since the early 1900s.

During the battle in Surabaya, this building was used as a defense point to block British troops. In that incident, a heroic act by a young figure named Madun occurred. During the war, Madun alone provided covering fire or protective fire with his machine gun to block British soldiers, so that his friends could save themselves. But unfortunately, Madun himself was finally killed. The bombing from the air by the British killed Madun with a burnt condition and appeared to be still in front of his machine gun. The event of the heroic warrior named Madun was immortalized and commemorated with his statue which is currently in Siola.