Vernacular and Transnational Urbanism
Verncaular architecture
Vernacular urbanism embodies the local people in an area, building their homes and building from local materials and in times, using local skillful workers to help. However, vernacular goes deeper into just the concept of using this vocabulary. Vernacular embodies the culture passed down generation after generation of individuals experiencing life daily and living comfortably in beauty. In his book, Vernacular Architecture, Henry Glassie writes poetically, describing the process of creating buildings and architecture as the process of creating culture to be seen and touched. He describes vernacular urbanism as the conscious choices made by individuals with each rock and each stack of hay used to build a home. These choices are cultural associations that begin the minute we start to crawl around the floor of our childhood home. These memories becoming embedded into our brains as inspiration for creation later. Vernacular urbanism in another word is home. The place of comfort, connections with those we love, memories and dreams. Vernacular takes these experiences and brings them to physical form. This type of architecture will vary from country to country as culture changes around the world.
Jakarta embodies vernacular architecture through the historical architecture of Asian culture. Bright buildings comprised of multi-layered rooftops and high beams surrounding the structure. As a coastal town, places of water are important and become sanctuaries through ponds and greenery surrounding the body of water. Vernacular architecture is discovered in the dense neighborhoods that have been constructed by the hands of the residents themselves. These homes are comprised of wood and material searched and shaped to fit the need of that home. This can be found in the shops and markets discovered on the sides o the road. Entrepreneurs create their own shop with carts and wooden boxes as they travel to sell their goods. As shown in the images below, vernacular architecture is what makes Jakarta unique and sends the message of who the people of Jakarta are.
Transnational Architecture
In "The Janus Face of Architectural Terrorism", Dalton uses dark imagery to describe skyscraper buildings as disconnection from the human experience in the city. Through metaphors of The World Trade Center and the two architectures, the concept of transnational urbanism comes out. Transnational urbanism is the architecture of thousands of men coming together to create life without the thought of humanization. When an individual looks up to the multi-national conglomerate building, all that is seen is a stranger who brought in synthetic constructions that are emblems of global power. These mega-constructions represent how privatization and globalization have come together to create concrete jungles.
As globalization has allowed Jakarta to grow exponentially since the 1990's, transnational architecture has popped up in the capital. Multinational companies have paved the way for their skyscrapers as the city molds itself to become a global power. These towering buildings comprised of grey concrete and endless sea of glass house global corporations. Transnational architecture is found in the transformation of originality to privatization and use of consumption. Mega-shopping malls with are being constructed with enormous LED screens flashing advertisements. These buildings often mimic architecture from across the globe as these multinational companies plant themselves in multiple cities.
