The three most important things in people’s lives are their food, their clothes, and their homes. Of the three, the home has been, for the longest time, a resting place that people cannot live without. Houses from country to country differ based on culture and climate, and each shows a different beauty. Indonesia in South East Asia boasts humid weather, with high temperatures even in winter thanks to their tropical weather, and is a country well known as a holiday destination spot. In particular Java Island’s Yogyakarta’s building style are each unique, on the rooftops, you can witness the beauty of South East Asia.
As said above, this is representative of the climate, the influence of the Netherlands, and of Japan’s colonialism; mixed together, the pains of history can be seen. If you look at it now, it’s a unique antique design mixed with the simplicity of Japan and the traditions and climates of Indonesia; together, they have formed something unique.
Indonesia’s climate is divided into wet and dry season; in the hottest period from March to October, temperatures soar, but the heat exits through the roofs of the building, keeping the temperature inside comfortable. To be more precise, the floor in people’s living spaces drops the air, and is a traditional design by the Indonesian people to make their lives more comfortable. In addition, through windows in the bathroom or on the balcony, heat escapes. Thus here we can see the influence of the inescapable climate they have to live through.
World Heritage Site ‘Borobubur’ also features this Java design style. Borobubur is one of the seven wonder’s of the world, located in Merap, a region in Yogyakart; the temple is made by volcanic rock, and the story is that the remains of Buddha are to be found there. People often talk of the jagged style roof featured on the temple.
During the war of independence of Netherland , the temple was the capital and it was claimed that Buddha was inside the jagged roof, the people of the time stole the remains away and now the sad and unfortunate history is shared among many. In a word, the architecture only seen in Java now lies as a beautiful ruin. The growing national spirit of the people of Java considers this their homeland, and it remains loved even in the modern day. Watching the sunset from this area is like watching the sunset in a romantic movie.
The times when Hinduism and Buddhism were spread throughout Indonesia are estimated to be around a century apart, but even now the traditional style of building still remains standing. Even in modern day Islamic Indonesia, through tourism volunteers, the growing flowers of Buddhist scripts have caused many to seek out this great Buddhist shrine. Combined with the cultural pains of Indonesia, Borobubur stands as an amazingly beautiful world heritage site.
References
Kusno, A. 2000, Behind the postcolonial, Routledge, London.
Rumah Adat Indonesia By Kauwan On Deviantart | Genuardis Portal 2016, Pinterest. viewed 1 April 2016, <https://au.pinterest.com/pin/170785010844836805/>.
The Traditional Architecture of Indonesia (Barry Dawson, John Gillow) 2016, Dannyreviews.com. viewed 1 April 2016, <http://dannyreviews.com/h/Architecture_Indonesia.html>.
Traditional House Around, Church Building, Indonesian Traditional, Indonesia Beautiful, Indonesian Culture, Karo Indonesia 2016, Imgur. viewed 1 April 2016, <http://imgur.com/5yGmcW3>.
Travel 2 Indonesia (The BorobudurTemple) 2016, Emp.pdx.edu. viewed 28 March 2016, <http://www.emp.pdx.edu/htliono/borobudu.html>.
Indonesia Global Design Studio 