Hindu-Buddhist splendors
The country's oldest religious buildings have been found on the island of Java. The Batujaya and Cibuaya sites illustrate what the first temples were like, taking the form of structures buried beneath tumuli, artificial mounds considered to be the ancestors of stupas, Buddhist reliquary monuments. Some are topped by what is known as a lingam, a small phallic-shaped aedicule symbolizing the goddess Shiva. In Indonesia, and more specifically on the islands of Java and Sumatra, the term candi is used to refer to Hindu-Buddhist temples erected during the so-called classical Indonesian period, from the5th to the 15th century. The Candi Sewu on Java is a fascinating example. Also known as the "place of 1,000 temples", the site is home to hundreds of small temples arranged in a mandala pattern, inspired by the cosmology of Mahayana Buddhism. Pairs of dvarapala, statues with human or demonic features and always armed, defend the 4 entrances to the site, while temples called perwara act as vanguard posts. The temples of the Dieng Plateau are stone reproductions of the great wooden temples of the first centuries of our era, of which unfortunately no trace remains. These temples are the expression of a rich stone culture, as evidenced by the bas-reliefs and sculptures that give life and rhythm to the apparently massive, monolithic structures. Set on stepped platforms accessed by large staircases, these temples often take on pyramidal forms. Similar structures can be found in the Muarajambi Temple complex in Sumatra, but this time the buildings are made of brick rather than stone. Allowing for new structural innovations, brick also offers beautiful chromatic effects with its shades of red. The site itself was protected by an astonishing network of man-made canals. Built high up to protect against flooding, the Muara Takus temple complex is also protected by an ingenious system of ditches and canals.
Religious architecture took a new turn under the Sailendra dynasty, who built the famous Borobudur temple on the island of Java. The monumentality of the stone structures in no way detracts from their harmony, the whole being a concrete expression of Buddhist cosmology. The division into 3 parts (base / terraces / stupas) symbolizes the 3 spheres that must be crossed to reach Nirvana. Admire the superimposed square terraces, which in turn support circular platforms surrounding the monumental bell-shaped stupa. The walls and balustrades of the various structures are adorned with numerous bas-reliefs and sculptures depicting the life of Buddha. Another must-see site in Java: the Prambanan temples, which boast the largest Shivaite complex in the country. The main features of the religious architecture of the period are to be found here: concentric enclosures create platforms on which stand stepped temples adorned with sculptures and bas-reliefs illustrating the epics of the 3 great deities (Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma). Everywhere, giant statues protect the sacred sites. A few centuries later, from the 14th century onwards to be exact, the great Majapahit Dynasty unveiled authentic splendors whose bricks are held together by an astonishing mortar of vine sap and palm sugar. The traditional composition consists of a multi-level basement supporting platforms accessed by balustraded staircases, themselves surmounted by superstructures, most often pyramidal. But the Majapahits added a keen sense of proportion and geometric lines, creating a harmonious whole that was further enhanced by the layout of the courtyards, which offered a superb play on perspective. By the end of their reign, the Majapahits had multiplied the number of taller, more monumental structures symbolizing Mount Meru, the sacred mountain. The Candi Sukuh, with its high, superimposed terraces, is a perfect example.
Amazing Balinese temples
Bali's most important temples are the Kahyangan Jagad or directional temples, marking the cardinal points and ensuring total protection of the island. These state temples are complemented by large mountain, lake and agricultural temples. No detail of their design is left to chance. Everything is based on the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, which aims for a harmonious relationship between the celestial, human and subterranean worlds, as well as on an order of purity that translates into precise directional axes: from the pure and divine upstream, symbolized by the sacred mountain, to the negative and impure downstream, symbolized by the sea. These pura are sacred enclosures organized around 3 courtyards with ascending levels of sanctity. The outer courtyard, jaba pura, is entered through a candi bentar, a monumental stone porch with a split silhouette symbolizing the sacred mountain divided between positive and negative forces. The median courtyard, jabah tengah, home to various utilitarian pavilions(bale) and secondary sanctuaries, is linked to the inner courtyard or jeroan, the most sacred area of the temple housing the altars dedicated to the great divinities, by a kori agung, a monumental porch in finely chiselled stone, embellished with a staircase and a double door. The meru symbolizes both the sacred Hindu mountain and the deity worshipped in the pura. They are characterized by thatched roofs with an odd number of storeys, ranging from 3 to 11. The most elaborate have roofs made of black sugar palm leaves, a very expensive material. A watchtower, or kulkul, set at a corner of the surrounding wall, protects the whole. Ornamentation is another key feature of these temples, whose decorative profusion has sometimes been described as Baroque. Stunning, sumptuous sculptures are everywhere. Celestial or demonic figures, floral interlacing, bas-reliefs recounting the great divine epics, and inlaid Chinese porcelain... the pura 's decor is incredibly rich. Among the most astonishing are the great religious complex Pura Penataran Agung in Besakih, Pura Maospahit in Denpasar, Pura Luhur Uluwatu and Pura Puncak Pulisan, the highest in Bali!
Islamic architecture
The islands of Java and Sumatra are home to some of the finest examples of Islamic architecture, which underwent a fascinating evolution. The first mosques of the 15th century have nothing in common with those we know today. Here, no domes and minarets, but beautiful wooden architecture with multi-level roofs and curved ends, an astonishing blend of Hindu-Buddhist and Chinese influences. The Great Mosque of Demak, in Java, is a perfect example. See its stepped roof surmounted by a small triangular aedicula with a carved gable, and its columned galleries. Another surprising example of this mix of genres is the Menara Kudus Mosque, in Kudus on the island of Java, which reflects the magnificent brickwork of the Majapahit dynasty and impresses with its 3-level pyramidal roof and, above all, its watchtower, a structure that appears to have belonged to a pre-existing Javanese temple. Sumatra also boasts a number of superb earthen mosques. In Lombok, the Masjid Kuno Bayan Beleq is the island's oldest Wetu-Telu place of worship. The syncretism of this cult between Hinduism, Islam and animism is reflected in its architecture. Set on a base of large pebbles, its perfectly square bamboo structure supports an elegant thatched roof. As Islam grew in importance, stylistic codes evolved towards Indo-Islamic and Moorish influences, with the addition of domes, minarets, elegant arches and interlacing floral and calligraphic motifs. These mosques are often flanked by colonnades, creating covered but airy galleries. Inside, the mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca) and minbar (raised pulpit) are the focus of much decorative attention. Contemporary mosques take up these codes while anchoring them in modernity, notably by favoring concrete over natural materials. Jakarta's Istiqlal Mosque is without doubt the most famous of recent mosques, with its 12 massive columns supporting a monumental dome.
Art of living
A country with many faces, Indonesia boasts an infinite wealth of vernacular architecture. Each island and each people has developed its own unique way of living, reflecting a desire to integrate harmoniously into its environment. The origins of this traditional habitat can be traced back to the first Austronesian peoples, who settled in long, stilted structures with steeply pitched roofs as early as the Neolithic period. Generally speaking, traditional housing makes the most of natural materials (wood, bamboo, thatch, plant fiber) and consists of a hardwood frame onto which are placed woven palm mats, planks or other materials, the whole held together by an ingenious system of mortise and tenon joints and wooden pegs. Together, these houses form villages called kampong. We obviously can't sum up all the varieties of traditional housing in Indonesia, but we can make your mouth water by mentioning the most fascinating forms! The Dayak are famous for their longhouses, large dwellings on stilts, the longest of which can reach 110 m in length. You'll recognize them by their superb carved posts, lace-like mantling and wall panels of bark covered with beautifully painted motifs. On the island of Sumatra, it's impossible not to notice the Minangkabau houses, also known as Rumah Gadang. Set on raised foundations, they are accessed via elegant staircases. The colorful window shutters match the floral and geometric motifs painted on the walls. But it's the roofs that really catch the eye, with their curved shapes ending in slender spires reminiscent of buffalo horns. Pyramid houses with 2-sided roofs forming 2 opposing gables with ridges flanked by buffalo horns, wooden houses with double galleries protected from view by fine sculpted columns, Batak houses adorned with paintings made from natural pigments (the red of the brick, the white of the chalk, the red of the wood, the white of the chalk, the white of the wood, the white of the chalk), white from chalk, black from charcoal) to ward off evil spirits, or the astonishing houses on the island of Nias, with their complex structures of vertical and oblique stilts ensuring excellent resistance to earthquakes - the island of Sumatra has no shortage of treasures! In Sulawesi, you'll discover large houses on stilts accessible by beautiful staircases leading to galleries with richly sculpted balustrades, and whose astonishing roofs are composed of a 4-sided section topped by a smaller 2-sided structure with painted and sculpted opposite gables. Home to the Toraja, Sulawesi is also home to tongkonan, large complexes of houses to which are added granaries(alang), burial sites(liang) and ceremonial grounds with menhirs(rante). Built on raised terraces, these houses are made of bamboo and are distinguished by their horse-saddle or buffalo-horn roofs, covered with stone slabs. In the Moluccan archipelago, you can discover small circular thatched huts called honai, while on the island of Flores you'll find astonishing conical houses.On the islands, particularly in Java, it's not uncommon to discover kelongs, a kind of offshore platform built by fishermen. Anchored to the seabed by wooden poles, these floating houses feature structures of planks and logs held together by rattan. Wooden walkways connect them to the land, but some can be entirely floating! In Lombok, villages are organized around walled enclosures housing the beruga, an open pavilion, the bale tani, a family pavilion, and the lumbung, a rice granary on stilts. Mostly rectangular in plan, these buildings have bamboo frames, thatched or reeded roofs and walls of bamboo or palm-leaf ribbing filled with a mixture of adobe or compacted mud. The Balinese, on the other hand, rely on the advice of the Undagi, priest-architects, who design houses according to precise measurements to ensure harmony between the dwelling and its occupant. To this end, theUndagi establishes a yardstick based on the owner's own proportions! Like the great temples, Balinese villages are organized along the kaja/kelod axis and divided into three parts, symbolized by three small temples. The Pura Dalem, temple of the dead, is located on the impure side, next to the cemetery. In the center is the Pura Desah, or communal temple dedicated to the village's protective deities; while the Pura Puseh, where the founding ancestors are venerated, lies upstream. Village life is also organized around key communal spaces: the wantilan, a large communal courtyard with multi-storey pagoda roofs resting on numerous pillars; the bale agung, a large sacred meeting pavilion inherited from the Javanese tradition of pavilions built on piles of stone; the bale banjar, a rectangular pavilion; and the pasar or market, which also has its own pura. The residential area of the village is divided into domestic enclosures separated from each other by clay or brick walls. Stone or clay gates with simple thatch or woven alang-alang leaf roofs, or gates with elaborate brickwork, finely sculpted stones and tiled roofs... the entrances to the enclosures illustrate the standard of living of the owners. But the star material is bamboo. Bamboo is used for posts, beams and rafters, movable partitions and shingled roofs. Traditionally, bamboo is always cut vertically and arranged in the direction of the cut, so as not to interrupt the flow of life. Among Bali's most beautiful traditional villages, don't miss Tenganan and Penglipuran.
Royal palaces and gardens
The various islands of Indonesia still bear the imprint of the great sultanates and kingdoms that ruled there. The island of Java is home to many of the kratons or sacred palaces that appeared with the first sultanates. Surrounded by a red-brick enclosure inlaid with ceramics, the Kesepuhan Kraton in Cirebon is one of the oldest. Another astonishing palatial complex is Trowulan, former capital of the Majapahit. Man-made canals form a chessboard-like layout. Zones are clearly defined, and beautiful brick architecture is everywhere, with the royal palace at the heart of the city as the most important landmark. But the most astonishing example of Java's power architecture is the palace complex in Yogyakarta. The kraton (palace) is at the heart of a complex whose layout and orientation are a physical manifestation of the cycle of life. On a 6 km north-south axis, numerous buildings are spread out, starting with the pendopos, ceremonial and reception pavilions with roofs supported by 4 pillars. With its marble floor, carved teak columns and richly decorated roof, the Golden Pavilion is one of the most famous. Large courtyards with sacred banyan trees at their center give the whole a happy harmony. In the Moluccan archipelago, palaces called istanas are largely inspired by vernacular architecture. In Bali, palaces are called puris. Lush vegetation and purifying water are omnipresent. Many of these palaces feature a floating pavilion, bale kambang, proudly enthroned in a vast ornamental pool. Taman Gili-Puri Semarapura, for example, bears the hallmark of the wealthy kingdom of Klungkung. This immense palace, baptized "the garden of the island", was the symbolic center of the kingdom and its original organization was inspired by mandalas, a system establishing correspondences of letters, shapes and colors with the cardinal points and the great venerated divinities.
Foreign influences
The arrival of the first Europeans marked the transition from wooden to brick and masonry architecture. Batavia (later Jakarta) was fortified by Dutch settlers, who also built numerous forts in the Moluccan archipelago, notably on the island of Ternate. Protected by high perimeter walls, these small fortresses, known as Benteng, featured stone platforms for cannons, bastioned structures and multi-storey buildings with generally whitewashed walls. As soon as they settled in Indonesia, the Dutch encountered major problems. Despite the creation of canals and irrigation systems to better manage the swampy terrain, and the construction of houses lined up in symmetrical rows with solid masonry walls, living conditions remained precarious, and the humidity and proximity favored the development of numerous diseases. To overcome this scourge, the Dutch had to find new solutions. For Batavia, they drew inspiration from a model that was very much in vogue in the Netherlands: the concept of the ideal city developed by Simon Stevins, which advocates urban planning focused entirely on public spaces. They also continued to build irrigation canals, locks and ditches. In terms of residential design, the Dutch drew inspiration from vernacular architecture, favoring high roofs with overhanging projections protecting galleries and deep verandas accessed by elegant porticoes. Neo styles were very fashionable at the time. The historic heart of Semarang boasts stunning examples of neo-Gothic and neo-Baroque, while Jakarta is more classical with its many colonnaded and bell-towered buildings. The City Hall, with its impressively high ceilings and windows, and its large courtyards, is particularly striking. Gradually, the Dutch moved away from historicist trends towards the clean, geometric lines of Art Deco, here adapted to the constraints of the tropical climate. Bandung, on the island of Java, became the laboratory of this modernism. Nicknamed the "Paris of the East", the city attracted great Dutch architects who gave free rein to a variety of modernist styles. Charles Prosper Wolff Shoemaker developed an Indo-European style with many decorative elements, led by paintings and sculptures, as seen in the Bethel Church. Albert Aalbers, a disciple of Le Corbusier, favored sober lines, creating superb visual contrasts between the verticality of the tall buildings and the elegant curves of their balconies. The Hotel Savoy Homann is undoubtedly his most famous achievement. Concrete, steel, ribboned ironwork, geometric typography and the purity of white are other attributes of this Javanese Art Deco state. In Bali, the villages of Belimbingsari and Palasari were both founded in the 1930s. Built according to orthogonal plans, they were designed to accommodate Protestant and Catholic communities, whose temples and churches are astonishing examples of syncretism between classical or Gothic elements and volcanic stone ornamentation and stepped roofs reminiscent of puras. The roofs are also a distinctive feature of Chinese temples, which have borrowed their curved ends and glazed red tiles from traditional pagodas. A Chinese influence can also be seen in the famous shophouses, boutique houses with narrow facades but structures that extend lengthways around several inner courtyards. You can recognize them by the arcades that often protect their first floor, as well as by their brickwork, balconies and beautiful decorative elements, led by glazed tiles and wood carvings. Jakarta is home to many such examples.
Since Independence
Under the leadership of Soekarno, the country turned to a modernism with a resolutely national flavour. Jakarta's National Monument, nicknamed Monas, with its inverted pyramid base and 137-metre-high flame overhanging the city, is a perfect example of this concrete modernism. Just like the Hotel Indonesia and the great Istiqlal mosque we mentioned earlier. To distance itself completely from colonial influence, the country turned to the United States and developed a style known as jengki, inspired by Yankee tradition. This style is particularly popular in the outlying towns around Jakarta, such as Kebayoran Baru. Asymmetrical facades, angular silhouettes, complex geometric shapes and bright colors characterize this unique style, which reflects the country's thirst for renewal. From the 1970s onwards, however, the government expressed a desire to rediscover an architecture more in tune with local history and traditions. A kind of neo-vernacular style emerged, reinterpreting the main principles of traditional architecture in a modern way. The government buildings of Padang, the buffalo horn roofs of Gadjah Mada University and the Soekarno-Hatta airport terminals, designed as a succession of pavilions around a tropical garden, are perfect examples. Today, Jakarta is undergoing unprecedented urban growth, with a proliferation of immense glass and steel skyscrapers. Among the most famous are: the Gama Tower, at 308 m, the country's tallest building; the Wisma 46 tower, nicknamed the "fountain pen" for its elegant ridge curvature; the Regatta Jakarta, made up of 7 buildings whose shapes evoke both sails and the buffalo horn roofs of traditional architecture; and the JB Tower with its vegetated blocks. This all-out urbanization can also be seen on other islands in the archipelago, although more and more architects are going back to basics and imagining more sustainable architecture. In Lombok, "A Frame" houses built of ironwood, reminiscent of huts, are being developed as alternatives to better resist earthquakes, and stand alongside eco-villages with earthbag domes coated with lime and covered with solar panels. Astonishing! And everywhere, bamboo is making a comeback, demonstrating architectural properties that no modern material can match. Bali is its laboratory. Elora Hardy creates sumptuous, light and poetic homes, while the BambooU(niversity) attracts architects and engineers from all over the world. Among the most beautiful recent projects, don't miss Green School's The Arch, a superb structure composed of bamboo arches 14 m high and 19 m long, criss-crossing each other in an elegant interplay of strength and weave. Nature is always right!
