Indonesian Houses Tradition And Transformation In Vernacular Architecture

The traditional houses and settlements of the several hundred ethnic groups of Indonesia are extremely varied and all have their own unique history. Underlying this rich diversity are fundamental similarities rooted in the ancient heritage that is shared by all the peoples in the Indonesian field of study. The multiplicity of ways in which this heritage is given shape in each local situation bears witness to an amazing creativity in adapting to regional circumstances and social changes. Inter-ethnic comparison of the architectural structures is a way to arrive at a better understanding of both the shared traditions and the diverging developments. In many cases, the variety of house forms will reflect successful attempts at one group's making distinct its buildings from those of neighbouring groups in an ongoing ethnic process of what could be called 'mutual contrasting', although sometimes by means of pseudo-traditions which have little to do with indigenous customs of the past. The contributions to this volume are grouped in four sections. The first consists of essays describing approaches to the transformation and variation of houses. The second set presents applications of these approaches in case studies of specific Sumatran cultures. The third group widens the perspective through the inclusion of a number of cultures from outside Sumatra, namely from Flores, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Palu'é, and Roti. The final set deals not so much with houses as with settlements. In their pursuit of the cultural dimension of houses, the contributions focus on villages and towns, exploring their cosmological and symbolic organization.

This collection aims to attract attention to the admirable achievements of indigenous builders in Indonesia and to contribute to a broader sense of commitment to the endangered architectural heritage in the region. It presents the second part of the results of a research project on vernacular architecture in western Indonesia, sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences. The volume is intended to provide an introduction to all relevant vernacular architectural traditions and developments in western Indonesia.

This collection aims to attract attention to the admirable achievements of indigenous builders in Indonesia and to contribute to a broader sense of commitment to the endangered architectural heritage in the region. It presents the second part of the results of a research project on vernacular architecture in western Indonesia, sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences. The volume is intended to provide an introduction to all relevant vernacular architectural traditions and developments in western Indonesia. The 21 contributions, all written by researchers with long first-hand experience in the area they are dealing with, are arranged according to the location of the ethnic groups from west to east--from Aceh to Western Java. Each contributor was asked to enrich the architectural description with a self-chosen particular topic illustrating social, ideological and environmental peculiarities of the field situation. The book takes account of the rich diversity of the various contexts and artistic elaborations that developed in the region. The first collection of essays, Indonesian houses, Volume 1: Tradition and transformation in vernacular architecture , was published as nr. 207 of the Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (Leiden, 2003). It focussed on case studies demonstrating how a common architectural heritage has been affected by historical changes, giving shape to a multiplicity of local developments and adaptations both in their material aspects and in their functions as objects of social value and meaning.

Over two thousand archaeological features cut directly into the limestone bedrock, and an artefact assemblage of pottery, shell and stone led to reconstructions of fifty domestic structures, thirty of which are houses, and interpretations of the spatial organization and chronology of the site between ca. AD 800 and 1504. --

Traditional architecture, which has evolved in harmony with the natural environment and the rhythms of a daily life far removed from industrialized society, is currently inspiring an awakening of interest throughout the world. Nowhere is more deserving of this attention than the islands of the Indonesian archipelago, whose wide range of peoples and terrain have produced the most extraordinary vernacular building. Characteristic of many Indonesian architectural styles are village houses raised on stilts, high above monsoon muds and malarial mosquitoes, where they benefit from cooling breezes. Walls, window frames, posts and pillars are often beautifully carved and painted with images of guardian spirits and ancestors, animal and human figures, spirals, and floral and geometric patterning. Majestic roofs can dwarf the living accommodation; their sweeping slopes dispel tropical rainwater, and their overhanging caves offer shade from the sun. Construction with pegs and wedges instead of nails affords buildings both the strength and the flexibility needed to withstand earthquakes and yet be easily dismantled and transported to a new location. In many communities the house is regarded as a spiritual, almost corporeal entity, whose construction involves many rituals and superstitions. It forms the focal point for a villager's sense of community, ancestry and social standing. Barry Dawson and John Gillow's firsthand research has provided the basis for this detailed examination of Indonesian vernacular building, which analyses the predominant types of each island, and how they relate to the architectural needs of the present and future. Historical photographs, drawings and nearly 200 dazzlingphotographs of villages, houses, barns, meeting halls, places of worship and domestic interiors, vividly illustrate the enormous diversity of traditional styles to be found throughout the islands. From the dignity and grandeur of the Minangkabau houses of Sumatra to the imposing solidity of the Dayak communal longhouses, Java's rich legacy of Hindu-Buddhism or the humble "haystack" houses of the Atoni of Timor, the astounding vernacular architecture of Indonesia is thoroughly and magnificently documented.