Localizing the Universal Values of Christianity in Local Church Design of Indonesia: Toward Sustainability (Case Study: Church of Poh Sarang and Church of St. Mary Assumption)

Kusbiantoro, Krismanto (2010) Localizing the Universal Values of Christianity in Local Church Design of Indonesia: Toward Sustainability (Case Study: Church of Poh Sarang and Church of St. Mary Assumption). In: Proceedings of the IDEA Symposium, 3-5 February 2010, Brisbane, Australia.

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Abstract

Globalization is now an inevitable phenomenon that has put pressure on all aspects of human lives and design. John Naisbitt argued that this phenomenon is a paradox where greater global pressure produces stronger local identity. Therefore, globalization brings a blessing in disguise for the emergence of local values. The issue of global versus local in Indonesian church design has existed for decades. As a foreign culture introduced during the colonial era, Christianity, with the spirit of universalism, faced problems of acceptance. Christianity had to address the local cultures that had existed for many centuries in order to be accepted. Therefore the issue of localizing emerged to adapt Christianity with its context, including its design. It is critical to understand that a place, including churches, means significantly to people because they have certain values. Churches that show local characteristics prove to be culturally significant to the people and therefore more sustainable in the long term. The presence of this kind of church in a local district ensures it will become inseparable from place, and hence, strengthen the local character. For example the Church of Poh Sarang (by Maclaine Pont) and the church of St. Mary’s Assumption Klaten (by Mangunwijaya) are churches designed with the spirit of locality. Local values and meanings are crystallized within design elements of these churches. This paper will describe how architects adapted universal values of Christianity into local ways and design elements, in order to survive as an inseparable part of society. These churches show how design can contribute to the sustainability of Christianity in Indonesia.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Subjects:	N Fine Arts > NA Architecture
Depositing User:	Perpustakaan Maranatha
Date Deposited:	12 Mar 2012 08:52
Last Modified:	12 Mar 2012 08:52
URI:	http://repository.maranatha.edu/id/eprint/730

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