Home Improvement @ dotindigi

All the ancient ruin in old Majapahit that survive until this moment has a tendency to show details, like all ancient building in Java and Nusantara. Details have become a part of Javanese architecture and inseparable element of buildings.

Fine example, details in Bajangratu Gate Temple, with many symbols made inside relief. Aside of building presence that exist until now with some restoration, the temple is not only attractive from its monumental size and proportion, but also visually attractive with interesting corners even from the nearest distance.

Attractive not only visually appealing, but also attractive because observer can be triggered to understand many visual phenomena, like form, symbols, and details.

Buildings in Majapahit have mystical trace that is incomparable with ‘modern’ buildings, even the terminology would not be well known in western literature. And to ‘experience’ the feeling that happens because of the trace, there is no other way than visiting the site and feel the space, the solids and voids.

Valuable lesson from visiting the old sites is seeing and knowing how ancient societies build their building. Visiting the site also help us understand the space that may give inspiration when designing.

Detail as a part of Nusantara (Indonesian) traditional architecture is less used in the euphoria of ‘modern’ architecture, whereas modern architecture had been declared ‘dead’ by Jencks, and ‘less is more’ by Meis Van der Rohe had been ‘less is bore’ by Venturi. Detail presence in temple buildings become the main power beside the all form of building. This makes detail as an attractive visual pleasure aside of symbolism contained to give more value of historical information through figures.

It is very much a pleasure to know that detail presence is a bridge to continue tradition in modern context. Simply because detail is a part of traditional architecture (especially in Indonesia). And it is a pleasure to explore new architecture technology in detail.

That is why detail use needs to be thought as a step for historical preservation, simply because detail has been a part of traditional architecture. Detail in here is local vocabulary that become a part of modern construction.

This is possible as part of ‘infiltration’ of traditional architecture inside modern architecture, making aliened ideas as the side effect of modern architecture coming into a new level of postmodernism. Image from detail can be an added value of visual image of building, that will add more value to its observer. This because human is creature with emotion, feeling and subjective memory and a will to interpret space to form future memory.

We can not replace memory of being in a certain place, with seeing picture in books or magazine. Because all sensation related to space will only be perfected if the observer present in the space (like mentioned in the book “Merah Putih Arsitektur Nusantara” or Red White Nusantara Architecture, written by Galih Widjil Pangarsa). Even so, observer’s behavior will determine interpretation of architecture object. This will determine whether an observer will appreciate an architecture object or not.

From perception, there might be interest to temple buildings in Majapahit. The reality is, an old building can be more interesting than the new one. This is like comparing an old remain of the Majapahit with new mall building, for instance. Inside a mall, there are interesting objects that may bring amusement, especially because technology has been able to make new architecture ‘candies’.

By my experience, architecture and the existing space can trigger an interest to this kind of old architecture. Not like the perception that exist in the presence of space, meaning, symbol, details and other things. Of course, there is a difference of touching a wall that was made centuries ago, compared with modern glass wall. In this case, there is a difference of aesthetic value, and this will determine understanding of architectural object in different context, in other word, the ability to be interested in an architectural object.

In iconography context, there are many vocabularies can be ‘seed’ to tradition, or without being too extreme, a strong vocabulary of local values.

To bring icon of the past into present time is not impossible, for instance the one done by Renzo Piano with Tjibau Cultural Center, in Noumea, New Caledonia. This iconography brought new context of vernacular Kanak house architecture, creating aesthetic and beautiful new architecture that has a connection with local values.