Limas House

Palembang as a 'waterfront city' has a variety of uniqueness and characteristics which rarely found in other cities in Indonesia. Physical development  progress and population activities require the availability of space and land to support all of their activities in this metropolitan city. If not followed by spatial planning well, it will cause various problems in terms of space utilization, both structurally and functionally. Today, the existence of Traditional Customs House, especially Limas House is very rare. We will be more difficult discovered the existence of genuine Limas House because most of them have been renovated. Changes in the values culture are increasingly eroding the space hierarchy functionally. Human life will never be separated from water as a source of life. Similarly, the emergence of Palembang architecture begins on the banks of the Musi River. Over time, the growth of total population is increases the efficiency of land use as well. 

Traditional Houses are part of a cultural heritage of our ancestors who must be preserved. Traditional houses have implied meanings of history because they are blend value use and art value that are usually interwoven with elements of traditional culture. The traditional houses were born from embodiments of creativity of community . They also possibly in connection with the operation of traditional events. Therefore, generally, traditional houses have use values and have artistic dimensions. The work that combines between traditional houses in orders and values are usually interwoven with elements of traditional cultures. So that, actually, some ethnic customs of traditional houses has typical of characteristics. One thing that we must be remember is the traditional house is not solely of commodities or merchandises, but also full of with loads of arts,include heritage ancestral indigenous traditions, cultural contents, the implication events, and psychological implication communities. 

Traditional houses are characteristic of Architecture Vernacular of Indonesia which have shaped of characteristic stages.  Indonesia Traditional Houses can be translated into more than twenty-six species of Traditional houses. One of  them is Limas House from South Sumatra Province. The most prominent traditional building in the Palembang City are Limas House, Gudang House, and Rakit House. They have several period of historical developments and also experienced in

transformation of values, from the era of the Kingdom of Sriwijaya with Buddhist Culture thought to the era of Kraton Palembang was influenced by the Islamic Culture. 

The Hierarchy of Limas Traditional House can be grouped into eight major rooms. 

1. Garang Buri 

Garang Buri is often referred to as a porch, a transitional space between the staircase and Pagar Tenggalung. 

2. Pagar Tenggalung

PagarTenggalung  serves as a living room or waiting room. 

3. Jogan 

Jogan spaces located on the left and right floor which are used as a bed room. 

4. Pedalon 

Pedalon is a circulation space which is located between Pangkeng and Amben Tetuo. 

5. Gegajah 

Gegajah precisely located below the top of pyramid roof. In this space, there are pangkeng and Amben Tetuo. Gegajah is the highest and the most honorable which can not be compared with other spaces, because it has the highest privacy space in all of Limas House’s hierarchy. 

6. Pangkeng 

Pangkeng is an enclosed space, which has four pieces of walls. It serves as a bedroom of head of the family or the bride room. 

7. Amben 

Amben is a space which is formed from floor elevation on Gegajah. 

8. Pawon 

Pawon is a kitchen which functions for daily activities.

All of Indonesia Traditional Houses have ornaments, of course Limas House has, too. Variety of decorative motifs in South Sumatra takes shape of gejalu and natural properties. Similarly, decoration is very dominant in traditional buildings. Most of the natural vegetation patterns are carved in flowers and foliage. Based on a personal interview, there are several names; sun , fruits, leaves, and flowers. 

Based on writer observations, we may difficultly differ between Original Limas House and Renovation Limas House. Why? Ironically, it happens because of the lost of local culture. It has defeated by modern culture. Because of this reasons, writer has a prototype of New Limas House Design which is promoted in 57th Final Project of Architecture in one of Indonesia Colleges. Writer had tried to mix between local cultural and modern activity. In other  words, making a new tourism traditional  object  in Northen of Ulu side or Southen of Musi River side. For more detail information about this final project, see the writer’s archieve about Redesain 3-4 Ulu Palembang Sebagai Kawasan Indonesia (For now, it only available in Indonesia Languege). Ironically, modern lifestyle teahes us to forget  local culture and to swith it into modern culture. Moreover, modern culture which have been adopted in Indonesia have been received 100% by Indonesia people. Slowly and surely, original culture will destroy and will defeat  by them. One of the exemple of ‘forgettable culture’ (Why? Because the writer thinks that new culture may be absorbed easy but may be forgotten easy, too).

Finally, as a South Sumatra Traditional House Icon, Limas house will live in the past, in the present, and in the future. Ideally, a good city has good icon(s) and good culture even others can live together.

(Written By AJMariendo)