The Presence of Critical Regionalism in Contemporary Mosques in Indonesia

In the last few decades, contemporary mosque architecture in Indonesia has separated itself from mosques’ traditional language and symbols. Contemporary mosques tend to produce experiences of space and articulation of unprecedented mosques. However, the novelty is inseparable from an understanding of the regional context. This study examines the presence of critical regionalism in Indonesia’s contemporary mosque design phenomenon. This study uses six samples to assess how the application of critical regionalism is present in contemporary mosques in Indonesia. This thinking has become an attitude associated with the abstraction of Islamic symbols within creativity in creating places. The use of local materials is the primary articulation in the application of critical regionalism. Thus, in this articulation, a spatial and aesthetic experience is formed that is not sentimental towards history, processing local materials in the context of modern construction, responding to local and climatic conditions and becoming an emphasis on tactile.