Adaptation within Tradition: Transformation and Redefinition Alun-alun as Multi Spatial Space
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24252/nature.v13i1a3Keywords:
Adaptive reuse, Alun-alun, Conservation, Multi-spatial, Spatial RegenerationAbstract
This research aims to reflect on adaptive design strategies as an approach to revitalizing the historical, multi-spatial Alun-alun Surabaya. Its primary objective is to examine how such design strategies can revitalize a public tropical space that is both spatially and historically complex, and to formulate conceptual principles relevant to the Indonesian urban context. Distinct from conventional alun-aluns, which are typically open urban spaces, this Alun-alun Surabaya emerges as a layered spatial system that responds to land limitations, historical value, and the dynamics of a contemporary tropical city. Using a qualitative approach with data that includes: designer interviews, design documents, and an AI-powered analysis of user digital reviews, this study identifies three main reflective conceptual strategies: (1) Spatial Connectivity: revitalization as a multi-contextual approach through the interconnection of historical physical architectural elements within an adaptive outdoor space; (2) Programmatic Diversification: the diversification of programs as a multi-activity programmatic strategy to support the public needs of its diverse communities; and (3) Multi-Spatial Interpretation: the dynamic transformation of the Alun-alun within the diversity and dynamics of spatial practices by its users. The findings show that the Alun-alun has the potential to be redefined as a flexible tropical public space capable of accommodating socio-ecological changes, as well as bridging historical heritage and the needs of a contemporary city in a more complex configuration of layered spaces. This, in turn, contributes to the development of adaptive design theory and the practice of revitalizing tropical public spaces in Indonesia.
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