A Conversation with the sea in Ancient Hinterland Architecture in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is an archipelago that has always been close to the maritime tradition. This tradition has a characteristic that can be associated with a dynamic life in a social and cultural context. People who originally lived on the waterfront began to shift to the hinterland in search of a livelihood which was more definitive than the uncertainty of living from day to day, and for security reasons. Furthermore an agricultural society has more time and opportunity to develop art and accomplishment while waiting for the rice harvest. The architecture in the hinterland demonstrates a fineness and conceptual depth and tends to be static, while the coastal architecture is more open, pragmatic and dynamic. However, that does not mean that the maritime tradition which is older than the agricultural tradition has left no traces on the architecture in the hinterland. This study reviews the traces of persistency and transformation of the maritime traditions aspect in the architecture in the hinterland. The temples in Indonesia at classical era (7th-11th century) using makara in this building, especially in left right left right stairs and doors, in addition to jaladwara (fountain gates/shower). The Makara in Hindu mythology is an animal that lives in the sea and a vehicle god Varuna, the ruler of the ocean. In addition to sacred buildings, the maritime traditions can also be identified through the use of vessels shape for the figure of the building in whole or just parts such as roof shape, decoration, roof silhouette, and others. The terms that relate to parts of the ship such as anjung, anjung-anjung, anjungan are also found in several spatial traditional vernacular buildings in Indonesia. Similarly, the tectonics of the roof was allegedly inspired by the shape of a wooden ship construction. This phenomenon indicates the persistency of the use of iconographic traditions derived from maritime or coastal culture in the long term even though the tradition has changed into an agriculture based one.