The Symbolic Regionalism on The Architectural Expression Design of Kupang Town-Hall

Abstract

This study aimed to explain the synthesis design approach of the architectural expression in the Town Hall building of Kupang city. This is necessary due to the need for Town Halls, as public facilities, to reflect technically correct building standards, environment, and the aspects of political symbolism. Kupang Town Hall design uses the roof image expression of the Timor, Flores, and Sumba ethnic architecture in a harmonious composition and this means it is an example of an ethnic architectural synthesis in a modern building which represents a function, meaning, modernity, and local cultural identity. This research employed the social semiotics method to examine the design in relation to the surrounding social life context and the design was found to be produced from the symbolic regionalism approach which involved mixing the architectural images of Timorese, Flores, and Sumba ethnicities to modernize and conserve ethnic architecture and represent the cultural identity of East Nusa Tenggara. This, therefore, means architectural synthesis methods which are established on the symbolic regionalism approach have the potential to be used in designing public facilities in different places of Indonesia to reveal local cultural identities in modern buildings through symbolism based on an ethnic architectural image.