Material and Cultural Values in Joglo Architecture in Indonesia

Joglo is a residential architecture heritage intended for the Javanese
nobility. Since the Yogyakarta earthquake in 2006, the eminence of joglo has
been questioned because many of them collapsed in this disaster. Through
tectonic studies, this paper aims to reveal whether joglo structures were created
with more consideration for technical matters (material and strength of
construction), for non-technical considerations (creation of the spatial
atmosphere following the cultural values), or the harmony between them.
The study employs a historical interpretative method through three
stages. First, it examines the technical aspects of joglo construction to produce
a narrative about the logic of joglo construction. Second, it examines the cultural
aspects related to joglo to develop a narrative about how the Javanese nobility
interprets joglo spaces. Finally, the two stages are discussed to look for the
relationships between them.
This research has revealed that the process of creating joglo is based on
two concurrent knowledge, traditional wood and stone construction technology
and the knowledge of Javanese religiosity originating from the Hindu cultural
values. Both of this knowledge are combined harmoniously so that there is a
harmony between the material, construction and form elements, and the
philosophical meanings that give rise to a sacred atmosphere in the joglo
architectural space.