POWER AND KNOWLEDGE IN THE TUATUNU GRAND MOSQUE OF PANGKALPINANG CITY, BANGKA ISLAND

Abstract

Apart from encompassing building techniques, functionality, and aesthetics, architecture encompasses power relations and knowledge within a building design. The knowledge embraced by architects manifests itself within the building as a textual message that users can understand. This study explores the interaction between power relations and knowledge that give rise to discourse in the design of the Tuatunu Grand Mosque in Pangkalpinang, Bangka. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach with random probability sampling, this research examines the influence of architects' power relations and knowledge on the architecture of the Tuatunu Grand Mosque. It sheds light on the discourse among its users. The findings of this study reveal that the architect employed two types of knowledge, namely Malay culture and Islamic values. These two types of knowledge are reflected in four concepts encompassing ten architectural elements. The analysis results demonstrate a readability rate of 75% for the discourse among the informants. This figure indicates that the users have a sufficient understanding of the messages conveyed through each architectural element. Malay culture emerges as the dominant and most prominent discourse in the mosque's design compared to Islamic values. Malay culture is applied in seven architectural elements, while Islamic values are only present in three.