Representation Of Harmony In Javanese Culture In Building Design

GSTF Journal of Engineering Technology (JET) Vol.3 No.2, July 2015
Representation Of Harmony In Javanese Culture In
Building Design
Of Kauman Yogyakarta
Cama Juli Rianingrum, Agus Sachari, Imam Santosa
political changes, it is still identified as a Muslim community
with traditional Javanese atmosphere. Kauman Yogyakarta has
also a distinctive historical value in the history of the
Indonesian nation, particularly as the founding center of
Muhammadiyah in 1912, whose founder Kiai Haji Ahmad
Dahlan was an abdi dalem of Kraton Yogyakarta who resided
in Kauman.
Abstract - Kauman Settlement in Yogyakarta,
Indonesia is an urban village settlement located inside the
complex of Kraton Yogyakarta (Palace of Yogyakarta). At
first, the settlement was a facility provided by Sultan
Hamengku Buwono for the abdi dalem (employees) of
Masjid Gedhe (Great Mosque of the Palace of
Yogyakarta). Social, political and cultural changes have
occurred for approximately three centuries, from the
Dutch Colonialism era up to now. These changes have both
physical and non-physical effects to lives of the people and
the shape of the settlement. Physically, the building designs
have become more heterogenous, albeit without neglecting
the basic concept of Javanese traditional architecture. The
process of building and developing the settlement is
supported by Javanese cultural values devoutly practiced
by the settlers. The Javanese tradition does not fade out
even though other cultures have interfered and influenced
the traditional culture. In order to understand how the
people of Kauman Yogyakarta shape their settlement in
relation to the traditional Javanese values they are
practicing, observation of literature, collection of field data
and interviews for the purposes of analysis are conducted.
Kauman Yogyakarta today is a settlement with a
distinctive feature, a place of traditional Javanese culture
amidst the business center of modern Yogyakarta.
Kauman is situated amidst the center of business and tourism
of Yogyakarta, a city located south of the Central Java
province with an area of 3,100 square kilometers, most of
which are fertile farming soils due to tropical climate. Kauman
covers an area of approximately 192.00 square meters and is
an area of dense population and building arrangements (6080% building coverage according to Bappeda data in 1994).
Kauman Yogyakarta was at first a residential area for abdi
dalem (employees) of the Great Mosque of Kraton
Yogyakarta, peopled by residents from the ethnic Javanese
that are exclusive and related to one another due to endogamy.
The education and activity patterns of the area adhere closely
to the teachings of Islam. After Indonesian independence, the
areas around Kauman have undergone extensive physical
development in order to fulfill the needs for adequate
infrastructures, following the growth and development of
Yogyakarta as a city of tourism and education.
Keywords: design, building, Kauman Yogyakarta
settlement, Javanese cultural values
I.
INTRODUCTION
Indonesia is an archipelago rich in natural resources and
cultural diversity. The cultural diversity is reflected, among
others, in the architectures of traditional houses across the
archipelago, where each region has its own uniqueness and
distinction, along with the cultural values that reflect the life
philosophy of its people. A distinct traditional house in
Indonesia is the Javanese house, a form of architecture that
manifests a totality of a statement of life inspired by the
manners of placing one’s self, norms and the Javanese value
system within one’s surroundings. Javanese houses are still at
large and are frequently found in many cities in Java including
Yogyakarta, particularly in the Kauman Yogyakarta settlement
that has stood for nearly three centuries. Even though this
settlement has gone through various social, cultural and
Figure 1. Map of Kauman location within Kraton Yogyakarta complex,
Indonesia
Seen from a historical perspective, the existence of Kauman
Yogyakarta is inseparable from the influences of and
connection to Kraton Yogyakarta, initiated since the sultan
first had the Great Mosque (Gedhe Kauman Mosque) built
DOI: 10.5176/2251-3701_3.2.127
©The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access by the GSTF
58
GSTF Journal of Engineering Technology (JET) Vol.3 No.2, July 2015
within Kraton complex in 1773. During its inception, Kauman
Yogyakarta was under the hegemony of Javanese culture (the
Kraton), although the influence of the Dutch Colonial culture
is not to be neglected, due to the settlement being built during
Dutch occupation. After 1912, Muhammadiyah brought strong
influences in the Islamic system. Suastiwi T. (2010: 90-107)
concluded that in general, from the inception of Kauman
Yogyakarta in 1775 up to now, the settlement has undergone
four periods of social and cultural changes that are
respectively influenced by the following:
1.
Sultan and Kraton Yogyakarta. Kauman Yogyakarta was
established
under
the
auspices
of
Sultan
Hamengkubuwono I. The residents of Kauman were at
first entirely ethnic Javanese, related to one another and
working as abdi dalem of religious affairs of Kraton
Yogyakarta.
2.
Growth and development of batik industry at the end of
the 19th century (c. 1880-1930). Muslim traders and
merchants emerged from within Kauman Yogyakarta
and developed batik industry known as Batik Handle.
3.
Founding of Muhammadiyah in 1912 by KH. Ahmad
Dahlan. He was an abdi dalem holding the office of ketib
amin (tibamin). The efforts of Muhammadiyah in
purifying Islamic teachings brought about changes,
particularly in religious norms. Kauman nowadays is still
the basis of Muhammadiyah organization.
4.
After the independence or the Republic of Indonesia era
(1945-now), Yogyakarta has become part of the
Republic of Indonesia and has since developed into a
city of tourism and education.
Even though Yogyakarta has undergone extensive physical
development, Kauman Yogyakarta maintains well the cool
and calm village atmosphere. This settlement has its own
complexity of issues concerning the identity of Javanese
cultural values as a lifestyle maintained by its people amidst
the recession of Javanese tradition in the globalization era.
These Javanese cultural values comprise intangible and
tangible representation. The intangible representation is
evident in the friendly manner towards visitors, mutual
cooperation (guyub) and maintenance of intense relationship.
The tangible representation is visible in the well-maintained
architectures of the Javanese houses. Kauman Yogyakarta
appears as a Javanese Muslim residential area with its own
unique, distinctive character in the middle of modern
Yogyakarta city.
Islam, kingdoms (kratons) in Java and life philosophy of the
Javanese people. The Javanese culture is considered not
homogenous; each smaller region develops its own culture, a
combination of pre-Hindu, Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic
elements that are extensively manifested in the lives of the
Javanese.
Cultural value system is a series of abstract concepts occurring
within the minds of most members of a society, concerning
both what is considered important and valuable and what is
considered trivial and worthless in life. Cultural value system
is part of customs, concepts practiced by most members of a
society that are enforced on them since childhood. These
concepts are rooted in the individual minds and become the
attitude of an individual soul in reacting to his/her
surroundings (Koentjaraningrat, 1990). In the Javanese
cultural values, there are two highly upheld values in the
everyday life of the Javanese: harmony and respect. Javanese
people always attempt to maintain harmony with his
environment, which means a Javanese human must live in
harmony with the nature and other individuals as part of a
greater society. Javanese cultural values are reflected in the
tolerant character of the Javanese: always striving for world
peace, in which they assume that everyone has similar world
views (although differences do not matter), and realizing that
life is a highly spiritual world reflected in their nrima
(resigned), rila (sincere) and sabar (patient) nature. The
Javanese people believe that God is the center of the universe
and all aspects of the human life. They view life as a process
determined by the Almighty and they just have to go through
it as He wills. However, they are also inseparable from the
numerous myths that color their way of thinking in
interpreting the lives they are going through.
A physical manifestation of culture is a house, an artifact that
embodies a system of cultural values: function, meaning and
symbol. A house for a Javanese person is a complete dwelling
for his position as a human being and as part of a community.
The process of constructing a Javanese house is based on the
rites, religion and faith manifested in form of a physical
building of functional and aesthetic reasoning.
Scheme 1.
Proses of Constructing Traditional Javanese House
II.
LITERATURE REVIEW JAVANESE CULTURE
Koentjaraningrat (1994: 30-97) stated that the Javanese culture
has started from the prehistoric era, evidenced by the
discovery of artifact remains in form of axes that are dated as
800 thousand years old on a site near Pacitan, East Java. It is
estimated that during that time, the hunters in Java island have
established a culture. Much later, Java is the place where
different races and cultures meet since the 40th century BC.
According to the history of Javanese culture, the elements of
the Javanese culture are formed from the history of the
Javanese people from prehistory up to the introduction of
The scheme above depicts the process of constructing a
traditional Javanese house, which is influenced by a number of
factors and Javanese cultural values as its basis. The
©The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access by the GSTF
59
GSTF Journal of Engineering Technology (JET) Vol.3 No.2, July 2015
construction of house is not based merely on necessity;
constructing a house is a cultural activity based on the result of
the budhi (behavior) of the Javanese people who make precise
calculations to maintain harmony between the residents of the
house and its surroundings in order to achieve safety and
prosperity in life and beyond.
people of various occupations: civil servants, army officers,
caterers, traders and even landlords who transform their
houses into guest houses.
V.
RESEARCH RESULT
Kauman Yogyakarta from Javanese Culture Perspective
A house as a place to live and do daily cultural activities is
supposed to impart comfort, calmness, and happiness for its
residents. The people of Kauman Yogyakarta have attempted
to maintain their unique residential identity over the course of
approximately 250 years. Even though nowadays they have
become part of the modern Yogyakarta citizens, the traditional
Javanese values are not supposed to fade away, and is
maintained in, among others, the shape of their house.
Historically, a house for the Kauman people is not merely an
architectural concept, but it is also a representation of its
owner’s personal identity as a Javanese man that strongly hold
Javanese cultural values in his everyday life. His way of life is
still influenced by the Javanese cultural values rich in
philosophy of life represented in the design of his house, along
with its interior. Even though the area has physically
transformed into more architecturally heterogenous, the basic
concept of tradition is still maintained.
III. RESEARCH METHOD
Historically speaking, the development of Kauman
Yogyakarta for nearly three centuries (1775-2014), from its
beginning until today, needs to be scrutinized, in order to
obtain historical knowledge in understanding and interpreting
argumentation from the interviewees during field research and
interviews related to the process of the social and cultural
formation and transformation experienced by the residents of
Kauman Yogyakarta. This study employs the qualitativedescriptive research method based on both the synchronic and
diachronic approaches, in order to observe a string of events
within a socio-cultural system that produces cultural artifacts
as events of cause-and-effect nature. Data analysis is
conducted on descriptive data in form of verbal and written
words from the people interviewed and observer. In order to
obtain the primary data, an on-location field observation is
conducted in form of direct observation of research objects
and interviews with several respondents to obtain their
reasoning and explanation of the attitude, perception and
action of the Kauman Yogyakarta community seen from the
perspective of its people. To support the primary data, the
secondary data in form of relevant literatures are obtained
from the library of Kraton Yogyakarta, bureau of statistics,
and related previous studies.
Residential Urban Planning
Site Plan
Javanese architecture commonly covers an area built into a
complex consisting of various buildings that serve different
functions. The complex are bordered by fences and gates/regol
as the accesses. Kauman Yogyakarta area is circled by
buildings that were built around the fences. Inside the area,
aside from residential houses, there are also a number of
public facility buildings that serve to support the activities of
the community as a santri (student of religious studies)
community.
IV. RESEARCH OBJECT
Kauman Yogyakarta: People and Settlement
In many areas in Java, there are many places called Kauman,
such as Kauman Surakarta, Kauman Kudus, Kauman
Semarang and Kauman Malang. These Kaumans follows the
same typology: an area situated behind a mosque that serves
as a residential area for abdi dalem of religious affairs or
affairs related to the mosque. Pengulu (head of religious
affairs) and the abdi dalem pamethakan of Kraton Yogyakarta,
along with their families, at first lived around the Kauman
Great Mosque (Masjid Gedhe Kauman) in an area called
Pakauman which means “the land of the Kaums.” Later, they
were called Kauman, from the Arabic word Qoimuddin, which
means enforcer of religion. The people of Kauman Yogyakarta
belong to the ethnic Javanese that live in Yogyakarta. The
ethnic Javanese is the largest ethnic group in Indonesia with
its own language and many subcultures. At first, all Kauman
men were abdi dalem of the mosque, whose wives produced
batik as a part-time job. Kauman was an exclusively Muslim
community that piously practices the sharia law of Islam with
the Masjid Gedhe Kauman Yogyakarta as their center of
activities. After many decades, due to changes in cultural and
religious domination, development of thinking and
globalization, the people of Kauman Yogyakarta have also
changed. Many of them are not abdi dalem of the kraton, but
Figure 2. Map of residential area and public facility building that support the
activities of a Muslim community
Entrance to the area is provided by the gates that can only be
accessed on foot or on two-wheeled vehicles. Inside the area,
vehicle engines must be turned off. Everybody has to walk on
foot, carrying along their vehicles, resulting in very minimum
level of air and sound pollution. This is intended to maintain
silence in the area, so that the students can study and do their
©The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access by the GSTF
60
GSTF Journal of Engineering Technology (JET) Vol.3 No.2, July 2015
other activities peacefully. The gate, or regol in Javanese, is a
tall wall that provides access into an area. The gate has a
symbolic value in Javanese culture: it serves as the symbol of
the differences in levels of the Javanese cosmology system
and as the symbol of a guardian that possesses both physical
and spiritual powers. Psychologically, the regol or the gate
might make one feels reticent to go inside if one does not have
certain business to attend to or an errand to run. In this respect,
the gate has a function to control the flow of people going in
or out of an area.
Figure 4. Site plan orientation of Kauman following Yogyakarta site plan
(Javanese orientation: Cosmogony concept - Sangkan Paraning Dumadi Manunggaling Kawula Gusti)
Accessibility
There is hardly any distance between one building an another,
some even share one same wall. The pathways are narrow
alleys of approximately two meters wide that forms an
impression of long tunnels, typical of alleys in urban villages
in Indonesia, also known as jalan rukun. Due to its density, the
area lacks open spaces and socialization spaces, so that the
alleys function not only as accesses, but also as spaces for
trading activities and socialization for both the Kauman
residents and the comers. The narrow verandahs in front and
on a side of the house are filled with live plants, a reflection of
the natural outdoor, the true form of nature; it signifies
honesty and appreciation towards nature. The plants also
functions as filters of wind, dust and sunlight.
Figure 3. Entrance Gate/Regol into Settlement Area
Orientation
The orientation of the Javanese houses is governed by the
myth of the wind directions. Kraton Yogyakarta was
constructed based on a cosmogony concept stemmed on the
belief of the equality between the macrocosmos and
microcosmos, between the universe and the human world
represented by the king and his kingdom. Cosmologically, the
north face of Kraton Yogyakarta faces Mount Merapi while
the faces toward the South Sea. This north and south
orientation is a spiritual axis or longevity axis, symbolic of the
process of human life towards eterntiy. The buildings located
along this axis are buildings of high spiritual value. The westeast is the abscissa axis that symbolizes worldliness, a warning
of the human limitation before nature. The orientation of the
Kauman Yogyakarta site plan follows the cosmogony concept
of Kraton Yogyakarta.
● Yogyakarta city: The north-south axis lines up kraton, PalPutih monument and Krapyak stage. These three buildings
were constructed along a spiritual concept. The west-east
axis consists of worldly buildings, such as houses, shops,
offices and public facilities.
● Kauman Yogyakarta: The north-south axis consists of the
main gate to the residential area with the Muhammadiyah
insignia and Masjid Gedhe Kauman. At both ends of the
west-east axis stand the smaller side gates.
The entrances and the corridors of Kauman Yogyakarta are
always arranged along the north-south and west-east axes and
are always in straight lines. The area has no turns or circles.
This orientation follows the imaginary line that is considered
the best orientation that may bestow welfare to the residents of
the area.
Figure 5. Life in Kauman: Alleys or corridor as both access and
trading and socialization area
Architecture and Interior Planning
Form of Javanese Architecture
A Javanese house is a result of acculturation, as evident in its
constructing and supporting elements. Javanese architecture is
a combination of Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic and Western
elements, in synergy with each other to strengthen the
harmony of the distinctively Javanese house (Imam Santosa,
2006:387). Kauman Yogyakarta has been around for
approximately 250 years and still maintains a lot of old
buildings in their original physical states. The buildings in the
area are mostly Javanese village house and Javanese houses
©The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access by the GSTF
61
GSTF Journal of Engineering Technology (JET) Vol.3 No.2, July 2015
influenced by colonial (Indies) architecture, besides a minority
of smaller modern buildings. The percentage of area used for
housing is 71.6%, for shops 11.8%, for homestays 9% and the
rest 7.6% is for musholas, offices and village hall. The area
nowadays is 83.59% private, 10.26% belonging to kraton
Yogyakarta and 6.15% belonging to the village government
(Data from Bapeda Yogyakarta in Ahda Mulyati, 1995).
teachings are based on the concept of triloka (three spaces):
kamadhatu, rupadhatu and arupadhatu. According to the
Javanese concept, the triloka are jana-loka (the realm of
human beings), guru-loka (the realm of emotions) and hendraloka (the realm of the mind, the heaven of the senses).
Figure 8. Triloka of Javanese architecture in Kauman Yogyakarta house
d. Elements of Space
Javanese buildings use walls merely as barriers between
rooms, not as structural parts of the buildings. Removable or
non-permanent walls are used, such as gebyok (traditional
carved wood partition) or other wooden partitions. However,
some permanent walls are also built around rooms with a
higher level of privacy, such as the Sentong. The surrounding
walls of a house symbolize the separation between the outer
environment and the inner environment. The floors of a
Javanese house are usually flat without elevation; elevation
occurs only because of transition between rooms. The
difference in elevation or in flooring pattern and material
marks a territorial border and is intended to limit movements.
A Javanese traditional house is a house of wooden
construction. The high ceiling gives a spacious impression.
Figure 6. Types of house in Kauman Yogyakarta: village house and
Indies house
Sketch and Facade
A circular or oval-shaped house has never become a reference
for a Javanese house. The typology of a traditional Javanese
house is generally rectangular or square. The sketch for the
building interior consist of manipulation of geometrical planes
that forms a quadrangle. The sketch of the house creates the
perception of stability and balance.
Figure 7. Plan of Javanese house for residence and plan
of a house in Kauman area
The book Kawruh Kalang consists of guidelines on the
construction of Javanese traditional buildings; these are an
abstraction of the relationship between man and his
environment. The sizes in a Javanese house is determined by
its owner’s body scale, position and ideals. According to
Hindu perspective, a Javanese building is vertically divided
into three parts like the human body: head, torso, and feet. The
roof is the head of the building and its main part has five
shapes of roof construction; the post that stands on a stone
umpak (level) is both part of the building body and the support
of the roof structure. The stone foundation is the foot of the
building that strengthens the whole building. Buddhist
Figure 9. Usage of room elements made of wood in a house
in Kauman area
VI. CONCLUSION
Culture is not mere words; culture is the result of
interpretations, memory and meanings within human beings
©The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access by the GSTF
62
GSTF Journal of Engineering Technology (JET) Vol.3 No.2, July 2015
obtained from a learning system passed on from generation to
generation as tradition. Every culture has a system, a living
concept within human minds. This concept in the cultural
system is an abstract one; it consists of values on what is
considered important and valuable in living a life according to
social agreements in a society. In social life, this value system
is closely related to human traits and behavior, thus human
actions and products of material culture are always adorned by
cultural values, both directly and indirectly. Javanese cultural
values are based on the relationship scheme of Human – God
– Nature – Ancestor, which is reflected in the Javanese
architecture. The Javanese architecture is a representation of
human characters in constructing a place to live. A house has
many definitions. In history, ethnography, anthropology and
sociology, a house is not a mere architectural concept. A
house is an individual’s personal identity, a self-improvement
facility, a medium of peace and a center of cultural activities.
A representation of Javanese architecture is expected to be in
dialogue with its owner and be one with its environment.
Javanese architecture has a philosophical meaning as a
manifestation that reflects or represents an aspect of life in
creative work as a main activity of a living human being; it is
safe to say that the architecture is represents creative work. A
Javanese traditional house is a reflection of Javanese culture,
which in turn reflects relation between human beings and the
universe, a relation between microcosmos and macrocosmos.
A Javanese man realizes that he is part of the universe, thus
requiring to be one with his Creator. Life in Javanese
philosophy aims to achieve perfection in life, to seek balance
to create harmonious relationship among nature, human, and
God.
architecture can be realized if they are in harmony. Harmony
is part of aesthetics, which in Javanese culture is emphasized
on rasa (feeling). An architectural work is considered
harmonious if it does not intangibly ignite social conflict and
gives feelings of comfort, peace, and calmness. The harmony
is complete when it causes no tangible visual conflict; the
buildings are of various shapes and sizes, but they are
harmonious with each other. The tangible harmony is based on
the values of the intangible in its manifestation.
The growth and development of the Kauman Yogyakarta
community are mainly caused by the transformation of
domination and the shift in the perspective of Islamic practices
initiated by the Muhammadiyah organization. However, the
shift occurred only in the religious norm, while the Javanese
value system and everyday life in the community has not
changed significantly. The indicators of the longevity of
Javanese culture in Kauman Yogyakarta are the following: 1)
the considerable amount of Javanese cultural artifacts, such as
houses and other buildings, 2) the social life and community
behavior that demonstrate Javanese cultural tradition, such as
kinship, mutual cooperation, nrimo (resigned attitude),
unggah-ungguh (speech levels), tolerance and hospitality, and
3) the strong relation between the community and Kraton
Yogyakarta and the maintenance of respect and obedience
towards the Sultan. The history of Kauman Yogyakarta for
approximately 250 years has become part of the everyday of
life of the Kauman community that manifests in the
construction of a physical environment that is natural,
harmonious and unified, a cool and calm Javanese Muslim
residential area that is distinct and unique.
Scheme 1.
Javanese architecture in Absolute Balance (Harmony)
RFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
A physical human work of cultural activities, particularly
architecture, should be aesthetic and give physical and nonphysical comfort to its owner. Aesthetics and comfort in
Ahda Mulyati (1995), Pola Spasial permukiman Di Kampung
Kauman Yogyakarta, Tesis-Studi Tehnik Arsitektur UGM
Atmojo, K. & team (2004), Kraton Jogja: The History and Cultural
Heritage, Yogyakarta, Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Publisher.
Ahmad Adaby Darban (2010), Sejarah Kauman–Menguak Identitas
Kampung Muhammadiyah, Yogyakarta, Surya Sarana Grafika.
Ahmad Adaby Darban (1984),
Tipologi Kampung Kauman,
Yogyakarta, Fakultas Sastra UGM
Franz Magnis Suseno (1984), Etika Jawa: Sebuah Analisa Falsafi
tentang Kebijaksanaan Hidup Jawa, Jakarta, PT Gramedia
Geertz, Clifford (1994), Abangan, Santri, Priyayi Dalam
Masyarakat Jawa, Yogyakarta, Pustaka Jaya
Koentjaraningrat (1994), Kebudayaan Jawa, Jakarta, Balai Pustaka.
Suseno, F.M. (1984), Etika Jawa: Sebuah Analisa Falsafi tentang
Kebijaksanaan Hidup Jawa, Jakarta, PT Gramedia
Spradley, J.P. (1979), The Ethnographic Interview, Belmont
California, Wadworth Publishing Company
Suastiwi Triatmodjo (2010), Pemufakatan Dan desakralisasi Ruang
Di Permukiman Kauman Yogyakarta. Disertasi Doktor. Yogyakarta:
Universitas Gajah Mada.
©The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access by the GSTF
63