Image of the Baluwarti Old Town, Surakarta Sunanate Palace

Abstract

Baluwarti is a Javanese heritage kampong located in the old town area of the Surakarta Sunanate Palace from 1975 to the present and has various unique forms of historical value. The Baluwarti area starts from the northern entrance of the Gladhag Gate, along with the space inside the Baluwarti fort, up to the southern gate of Gading Gate. People have various perceptions imageability of the old town of Baluwarti. Baluwarti has elements that form the image of the city based on Kevin Lynch's theory. Namely "paths"in the form of streets and alleys within the area, Baluwarti forts as "edges,"kampong area with a unique toponym in the Baluwarti area as "district"; streets and alleys intersections as "nodes"; and the noblemen's residences of the Surakarta Sunanate Palace and shape of the main gates as "landmarks."This study aims to find out the public's perception of the image of the old town of Baluwarti, according to members of the Indonesian Institute of Architects in the Surakarta region. This study uses quantitative methods by collecting data, field observations, reviewing the literature, then processing it into a questionnaire involving thirty four respondents who are members of the Indonesian Architects Association in the Surakarta region. The findings of this research indicate that the perception of the old town of Baluwarti for members of the Indonesian Architects Association in the Surakarta region is that the Kori Brojonolo Lor (north gate) is the most robust image in the Baluwarti region. Stakeholders can use the results of this research to develop the Baluwarti area to strengthen the image of the old town of Baluwarti.