FOUR MAJOR STYLES OF

ARCHITECTURE IN INDONESIA

The architecture of Indonesia, much like

the country itself, is incredibly diverse and
captivating. It reflects the melting pot of
cultures that Indonesia has been, and
shows us how traders and merchants that
came here over the centuries have
shaped its structures. One can see
Chinese, Arab, European and Indian
influences mixed together with traditional
ethnic designs, which gave rise to the
distinct flavour that Indonesian
architecture has.

1. Traditional Architecture in
Indonesia
Every Indonesian sub-culture
has its own different form of traditional
vernacular houses also known as
Rumah Adat. The idea of this
architecture was based on the
traditional beliefs and values endorsed
by the local society. In fact there is no
architecture or designer to help them
built the Rumah Adat. They made
these houses on their own with the
help of carpenter and yet they still
manage to establish a complex and
high-aesthetic houses with the use of
natural materials.
 temple, the compound as the main
gateway, the paduraksa is often used to

2. Religious Architecture in
Indonesia
Religion forms an integral part of people's demarcate the innermost holy sanctum,
lives in the Indonesian archipelago. The where the gods reside, from the middle
biggest influence came during the sanctum.
'Indianized period' from the 4th to 15th
centuries, which saw Buddhism and
Hinduism gain a huge following in the
country. The Prambanan complex in
Yogyakarta is considered the finest
example of Hindu architecture; It has tall
and pointed roofs that feature elaborate
carvings, dedicated to the Trimurti. The
Trimurti is the worship of Brahma ( the
creator), Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva
(the destroyer) as the three
gods/processes that complete life on
earth. However, the religion practised
in Bali, Java and other Hindu-dominated
pockets of Indonesia combines Trimurti
worship with Buddhism and local animist Islamic architecture is just as fascinating,
beliefs, so what ultimately is practised is a especially in Indonesia, the country with
completely new religion. the third-largest number of Muslims in the
world. The 15th century saw Islam gain a
The temples in Indonesia reflect this strong foothold in Indonesia, particularly
uniqueness. Trademark features include a in Java and Sumatra. Mixed with the
split Candi Bentar gate that shows Hindu-Buddhist influence at that time, the
symmetry and a Paduraksa gateway architecture of mosques incorporated
where a towering roof incorporates the local flavours. Thus, initial mosques had
threshold inside. Bale kulkuls are another elaborate gateways and multi-tiered roofs,
common feature, which act as a similar to the Meru towers of temples.
watchtower or drum tower and lastly, the Instead of the typical minarets and
Meru towers that represent the heavenly domes, they were usually pyramid-shaped
abode of gods. Temples are usually structures that stood on four pillars. The
divided into three zones or sanctums Great Mosque of Demak and Menara
known as Nista mandala, Madhya Kudus Mosque in Central Java are good
mandala and Uttam mandala in ascending examples of these.
order of sanctity. While the Candi Bentar
gate demarcates the outer world from the
3. Colonial Architecture in
Indonesia
Formerly known as the Dutch East
Indies, Indonesia retains much of its
colonial architecture. When the Dutch
first arrived, they favoured masonry
and brick for building houses. They
tried to bring craftsmanship from their
home country to Indonesia, building
canals with row houses. This,
however, turned out to be disastrous
in the hot and wet climate, leading to a
massive outbreak of malaria and
dysentery.

Over the years, the Dutch learned

from their mistakes and combined
local elements such as eaves and
porticos to their buildings. Slowly
neoclassical and neo-gothic influence
began to seep into architecture, with
the inclusion of columns and
verandahs. This was most prominent
in the Catholic churches in Java and
its provinces. The Blenduk Church in
Semarang and the Jakarta
cathedral are one of fine examples of
this style

4. Post-Independence Architecture
in Indonesia

From the 1970s onward the

International Style began to emerge
in Indonesia, characterized by
skyscrapers made of glass, steel
and concrete. Ornaments were
rejected, replaced by transparency
and balance in most structures.
Examples include the famous Hotel
Indonesia and the Aceh Tsunami
Museum. The government began to
promote indigenous forms of
architecture during this time, which
led to a cultural fusion in many
places. Modern buildings were
topped with Minangkabau style
roofs or the Meru-style multi-tiered
roofs, as is seen in the University of
Indonesia and state offices in
Padang. In contemporary times, the
country has embraced all facets of
its history and culture; this is what
makes its architecture so diverse
and captivating to tourists from all
over the world.

FAMOUS BUILDINGS IN INDONESIA

1. Maimun Palace

Maimoon Palace or Maimun
Palace is an istana (royal palace) of
the Sultanate of Deli and a well-
known landmark in Medan, the
capital city of North
Sumatra, Indonesia.  The palace was
built back in 1888 and it showcases
an excellent blend of Mogul, Malay
and Italian architecture. 

2. Lawang Sewu

literally Thousand Doors, is a landmark

in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia,
built as the headquarters of the Dutch
East Indies Railway Company. The
colonial era building is famous as a
haunted house, though the Semarang city
government has attempted to rebrand it.

3. Bogor Palace

The Bogor Palace is one of six

Presidential Palaces of Indonesia, it
is located in the city of Bogor, West
Java. The palace is noted for its
distinctive architectural and historical
features, as well as the adjoining
botanical gardens.
 4. Istiqlal Mosque three tiers: a pyramidal base with five
concentric square terraces, the trunk of
Located at Jalan Taman Wijaya
Kusuma in Central Jakarta, on the
north eastern corner of the Merdeka
Square, the Istiqlal Mosque stands
out with its 45m diameter dome and

tall minarets. Standing almost right

across the old Catholic Church at the
corner of Jalan Lapangan Banteng,
the Istiqlal mosque was designed in
1954 by Frederich Silaban, a
Christian architect from North
Sumatra. The idea for the need of a
national mosque was inspired by
Muslim leader KH Wahid Hashim
and executed by Cokro Aminoto,
then minister for religious affairs.
Istiqlal meaning ‘Independence’,  is
a reminder of Indonesia’s struggle for
national Independence. Its 17 years
construction was personally
supervised by President Soekarno.
The mosque has a large rectangular
prayer hall with a 45 meter diameter
dome supported by 12 round
columns, and has 4 levels of
balconies.  Its interior is mostly
simple

a cone with three circular platforms and,

at the top, a monumental stupa. The
walls and balustrades are decorated
with fine low reliefs, covering a total

5. Borobudur Temple
This famous Buddhist temple, dating
from the 8th and 9th centuries, is
located in central Java. It was built in
surface area of 2,500 m2. Around the
circular platforms are 72 openwork
stupas, each containing a statue of the
Buddha. The monument was restored
with UNESCO's help in the 1970s.
7. Gama Tower

Gama
6. Pagaruyung Palace Tower
is a
Pagaruyung Palace is a royal palace, or
also called istana of the former
Pagaruyung Kingdom. The palace is
located in Tanjung Emassub district
near Batusangkar town, Tanah Datar
Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia.

It was built in the traditional

Minangkabau rumah gadang vernacular
architectural style, but had a number of
typical elements including three floors
structure and larger dimension
compares to common rumah gadang.

Grade A office building located on Jalan

Rasuna Said in South Jakarta. Gama
Tower is currently Indonesia’s tallest
building and the Westin Hotel occupies
the upper third of the building. The
remainder of the space is commercial
office which is available for lease.
Renowned Australian firm Taylor
Thomson Whitting designed Gama
Tower which offers multiple facilities as
well as those shared with the Westin
Hotel in the same building.

8. Gedung Sate
Gedung Sate is a neo-classical
building mixed with native elements.
Once the seat of the Dutch East
Indies department of Transport, 9. The Palace of Yogyakarta
Public Works and Water
Management, it now serves as the
governor's office of the West Java
province in Indonesia. Located
in Bandung, it was built in 1920 after
a design by Dutch architect J.
Gerber.

Its common name, Gedung sate, is a

nickname that translates literally from
Indonesian to 'satay building', which
is a reference to the shape of the
building's central pinnacle - which The Kraton
resemble the shape of one of the
Indonesian traditional dish called
“satay”.

Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat is a palace

complex in the city of Yogyakarta,
Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia.
It is the seat of the reigning Sultan of
Yogyakarta and his family. The complex
is a center of Javanese culture, and
contains a museum displaying royal
artifacts.
10. Wisma 46

(Bank Negara Indonesia)

also known as Wisma BNI

The skyscraper sits at number two as

the tallest building in Jakarta, after
Gama Tower. Situated in the heart of
Jakarta, Wisma 46’s construction was
completed in 1996 and it comprises 48
stories that are used for office purposes.