AR152-1

Indonesian Architecture
History of Architecture 3
Indonesia
Indonesia Indonesia
Jakarta
Largest city and capital of Indonesia.
Indonesia was formerly known as the
Dutch East Indies (or Netherlands East
Indies).

Indonesia did not become the

country’s official name until the time
of independence.

The word Indonesia was derived from

the Greek indos—for “India”—and
nesos—for “island”.
The present day culture of
Indonesia is an outcome of the
interplay of old-age- traditions
from the time of early migrants
and the Western thought
brought by Portuguese traders
and Dutch colonists.
 In the early 21st century Indonesia was the
most populous country in Southeast Asia and
the fourth most populous in the world with
over 270 million people.
Geography
Indonesia is the largest country in
Southeast Asia, with a total land
area of 1.9 million square kilometers
and total sea area, 7.9 million square
kilometers, including an exclusive
economic zone.
Topography
• Indonesia is the largest
archipelagic nation in the world.
It composes of 17,508 islands.
• The five main islands are Java,
Kalimantan, Papua (formerly called
Irian Jaya), Sumatra, and Sulawesi.
• The region is tectonically unstable
with some 400 volcanoes, of which
100 are active.
Topography
The larger islands of Indonesia are
mountainous, with some peaks
reaching 3,800 meters above sea
level on the western islands and as
high as 5,000 meters on Papua.
The highest point is Puncak Jaya
(5,030 meters) on Papua.
Climate
In most of the country, rainfall is
comparatively heavy throughout the
year, with a pronounced rainy season
roughly between December and
March. East of Surabaya, however, a
dry season is increasingly noticeable,
especially between June and
October.
Climate’s Influence to Architecture:
• In hot and humid low-lying coastal regions, houses have many
windows resulting in good cross-ventilation, whereas in cooler
mountainous areas, houses often have a vast roof and few windows.
• Houses are on stilts to keep people, goods, and food from dampness
and moisture. It also lessens the risk of diseases brought by
mosquitos as it is elevated.
• Sharp inclined roof allows heavy rain to quickly fall and large
overhanging eaves keep water out of the house and provide shade in
the heat.
Climatic Design of the Malay House
 Environmental Factors
Indonesia’s geography leaves the nation vulnerable to
severe flooding, unpredictable drought and plant pest
attacks, volcanic activity, and earthquakes, which are
sometimes associated with tidal waves (tsunami).
Religion
Indonesia has the largest Islamic
population of any nation. Most
Indonesians (86 percent) count
themselves as Muslims and observe
Islamic practices to varying degrees;
another 5 percent of Indonesians are
Protestant, 3 percent are Roman
Catholic, 2 percent are Hindu, 1
percent are Buddhist, and 1 percent
observe other religions.
 The architecture of Indonesia is defined by
its diversity of culture and geography.
Similar to many eastern countries that were
invaded and colonized by westerners. The
most significant influence has been Indian
but Chinese, Arab, European influences have
also played significant roles in shaping
Indonesian architecture.
Types of Indonesian
Architecture
Traditional Vernacular
Architecture

Originates from 2 sources:

1. Great Hindu tradition from
India.
2. Indigenous architecture
pre-dating the Hindu epic.
Traditional Vernacular
Architecture

Rumah Adat - also known as the

traditional/vernacular homes of
Indonesians are the best
representation of their
indigenous culture.
These homes varies across
regions and cultures but also
has certain similarities.
Traditional Vernacular Architecture

Characteristics of a Rumah Adat Construction of a Rumah Adat

• Made of fibre, bamboo and timbre • Post, beam and lintel structural
• Sloping roofs system with either wooden or
• Built on stilts bamboo walls that are non-load
bearing.
• Tendon joints and wooden pegs are
used instead of nails and mortis.
Built to adapt to Indonesia's hot and wet climate, these houses were constructed
on stilts, which protected goods from moisture and reduced the risk of water-
borne diseases. The main strength of these stilt-houses, however, lay in their
ability to absorb shock waves.
Prambanan Temple

Hindu-Buddhist
Architecture
This religion-based style was born out
of the influence of both Hinduism and
Buddhism during the Indianized
period of Indonesia, between 4th to
15th century, particularly in Java.
These remnants of the period
showcases places of worship that
were once part of bygone Indonesian
kingdoms.
Prambanan Temple

Hindu-Buddhist
Architecture
The main goal was to align the
building with forces of nature,
maximizing the place’s holiness and
maximizing its effectiveness as a place
of worship.

In symbolic terms, the building is a

representation of the legendary
Mount Meru, which in Hindu-
Buddhist mythology is the "residence
of the gods".
The difference between Hinduism and Buddhism-inspired architecture is that the former tend to
be taller with pointed crowns, while the latter uses stupas, or dome-like shapes ornaments.

Prambanan Temple (Hindu) Borobudur Temple (Buddhist)

Left: Prambanan Temple | Upper Right: Borobudur Temple | Lower Right: Dieng Plateau
Meru Tower or Pelinggih Meru

Hindu-Buddhist Architecture

Majapahit Era
• Builders in this era mastered using bricks,
put together with a locking mechanism
between each stone, using mortar or a mix
of vine sap and palm sugar as the binding
agent.
• The temples of Majapahit have a strong
geometrical quality with a sense of verticality
achieved through the use of numerous
horizontal lines often with an almost art-
deco sense of streamlining and proportion.
• Majapahit influencess can be seen today in
the enormous number of Hindu temples of
varying sizes spread throughout Bali.
Left Candi Bentar Gate | Upper Right: Meru Tower | Lower Right: Paduraksa
Candi Bentar Gate

Candi
• Large, sophisticated
religious structures
• built in Java during the peak
of Indonesia's great Hindu-
Buddhist kingdoms between
the 8th and 14th centuries.
Sultan Suriansyah Mosque

Islamic Architecture
The signature of the Islamic style is derived from
their place of worship, known as a mosque. Islamic
influence started in the 15th century, where it was
widely used in Sumatra and Java.

In the beginning, the mosque architecture design

was combined with the past traits of Hinduism and
Buddhism, Chinese, and other local cultures,
creating the vernacular architecture of the time.
The design uses multi-tiered roofs resembling the
Hindu’s Mt. Meru concepts, and towers resembling
the form of a Hindu-Buddhist temple. They even
used the same materials to achieve a look that's
exotic yet timeless.
 During the 19th century, the Indonesian Islamic style architecture underwent a significant change as it
welcomed influences by Arabian countries. By bringing domes and minarets into the Indonesian Islamic
style architecture, more depth and colours were added into Indonesia.

Baiturrahman Grand Mosque

 Palace Architecture

Istana (or "palace") architecture of the

various historic kingdoms spread
across the archipelago and evidently
some palace architectures in various
places. Normally, palace designs are
based on the vernacular styles of the
area in that time period. Though
based on traditional houses, the
palace is designed and built with
grandeur and majesty

Ubud Palace, officially Puri Saren Agung

Palace Architecture

Javanese Kraton (Keraton – Javanese

Royal Palace)

Characteristics:
• large pendopos (pavilion) of the
joglo roof form
• with tumpang sari ornamentation
that are elaborate but based on
common Javanese forms.
Joglo roof Tumpang Sari ornamentation
Omo Sebua (chief’s house) – enlarged version of the homes in the village
Palace Architecture
Rumah Gadang (Minangkabau: "big house") or
Rumah Bagonjong "house for the Minangkabau
people“
• Traditional homes of the Minangkabau in West
Sumatra, Indonesia.
• Serves as a residence, a hall for family meetings,
and for ceremonial activities.
• Owned by the women of the family who live
there; ownership is passed from mother to
daughter.

The houses have dramatic curved roof structure with

multi-tiered, upswept gables. Shuttered windows are
built into walls incised with profuse painted floral
carvings. The term Rumah Gadang usually refers to
the larger communal homes, however, smaller single
residences share many of its architectural elements.
Palace Architecture
Two Designs of the Rumah Gadang

1. Koto Piliang reflects an aristocratic

and heirarchical social structure.
The house contains anjuang (raised
floors) at each end to permit
elevated seating of clan leaders
during ceremonies.
Palace Architecture
Two Designs of the Rumah Gadang

2. Bodi Caniago reflects a

democratic social structure. Floors
are flat and on one level only.
Bakorwil Pamekasan

Colonial Architecture

Colonized for three and a half-centuries by the

Dutch resulted in strong influence on architecture
since the 16th and 17th centuries. Row houses
and canals with masonry and brick were used as
the primary material of the buildings.

At first, the Dutch did not consider adapting to

Indonesia’s environment conditions, which
turned out to be disastrous. Later, the Dutch
learned from this mistake and started to
incorporate Indonesian architecture style to the
design as an effort to adapt to the environment
(long eaves, verandahs, porticos, large windows
and ventilation openings). This triggered the birth
of the Indies architecture style in the 18th
century, these were essentially Indonesian houses
with European trim.
Bakorwil Pamekasan

Colonial Architecture

Indies style was implemented in

various establishments such as
government buildings, train stations,
hospitals, business venues and hotels.

Despite the grim origins of

colonialism, this style is still a major
part of Indonesian history.
Left: Jakarta Kota Railway Station | Upper Right: Gedung State | Lower Right: Pasar Gede Harjonagoro
Post-Independence
Architecture
The 1920s Javanese art deco style made a comeback in
the 1950s as an expression of freedom and became the
root national architecture style.

Jengki style - based on the word “yankee” of American

armed forces

• Highly influenced by American mid-century style

architecture.
• It uses a more complicated volume of structures
(pentagons or other irregular solids) than the former
modernist cubic and strict geometric structures of the
Dutch style architecture.

The government began to promote the country's

indigenous architecture in the 1970s. A lot of public
buildings have fused their design with local aspects, few
of them in an exaggerated way in the 1980s.
Post-Independence Architecture
One of the examples is the state office in Padang that includes a large concrete of Minangkabau-style roof.
Despite the outstanding effort, some of the outcomes came out looking less magnificent than anticipated
as attaching a traditional element to a modern building is not as easy as it sounds. Some did come out
beautifully, such as the original design of Terminal 1 and 2 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport.
Istiqlal (largest mosque in S.East Asia)
Wisma – 46

Contemporary
Architecture
Due to the economic growth in the 70s,
construction booms brought major changes
to Indonesian cities. New buildings are built
with glass, steel and concrete.

While residential architecture is based on

indigenous idioms, sometimes blended with
colonial or modern themes.

Architectural styles are influenced by

developments in architecture internationally,
including the introduction of
deconstructivism architecture.
The difference of Western and Indonesian architecture
according to Dutch architect is correlation between
building and people. Western architecture is a totality
construction, while the Indonesian's have been
developed as a subjective matter, elementary, with
preferring outside appearance especially front facade.
The natural condition between the sub-tropical
Netherlands and wet-tropical Indonesia is also the
main consideration od Dutch buildings in Indonesia.