EXPLORING THE WALKWAY’S OF KOTO GADANG VILLAGE
Koto Gadang is a small village which produced great men such as Agus Salim, Sutan Syahrir and Rohana Kudus. That village is located at approximately height about 923 meters above sea level and flanked by Mount Singgalang and Mount Merapi. The name of Koto Gadang its means big city, same as well as Kota Gede in Yogyakarta (middle java). There are also silver crafts and embroideries.
The unique characteristic in this village is the residential house model which look likes the villa house of the Dutch people (old house) and those are different from the traditional Minangkabau house model. This is because this village is used to be a resort for Dutch people who worked in Padang City. It was said that Dutch people were happy to stay in Kota Gadang because local people there are more open and receptive to people outside the region. So many educated people from Minangkabau province were born of Koto Gadang village.
Cluster-type residential houses are divided into 4 clusters; there are Caniago, Koto, Piliang, and Sikumbang. The roof cover of the houses made of zinc, instead of tile that made from terracotta, it had to do with the local community trust that is not good for a house covered roof by the something from the ground because the ground/ soil is symbolizing a place for people who have died.
The village’s atmosphere is very quiet as there was no pulse of life. This is because the people who like to go abroad to leave home so that was left was some house wife and children.
Figure 1. The intersection in Koto Gadang village with background of consuetude hall. Seemed the street names are adapted to the name of national figures that were born from Koto Gadang village, Sunday 7 / 3.
Figure 2. The Mosque ‘TAPI’ at Koto Gadang which already being renovated twice because the effect of earthquakes that occurred in West Sumatra.
Figure 3. One of the house industry in Koto Gadang village that has silver crafts Sunday 7 / 3
Figure 4. A mother in Koto Gadang village do embroidering craft at side hall of her house, Sunday 7 / 3.
Figure 5. The house model in Koto Gadang village at Caniago cluster. Dutch elements looks very bold in the form of roof design and window openings which are large and combined with ornaments typical from Minangkabau, Sunday 7 / 3.
Figure 6. The walkways in Koto Gadang village those are beautiful and full of local wisdom that combined with the model of the Dutch colonial era buildings, Sunday 7 / 3.
Tags: Eco Village
March 16th, 2010 at 6:43 am
kota gadang nampaknya masih memelihara peninggalan/warisan budaya arsitektur dengan baik. policy ini penting, agar generasi berikutnya tahu akar sejarahnya; juga bagi semua warga agar tidak disorientasi.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:48 am
kota gadang nan kaya budaya banyak tokoh sejarah yg membawa negeri ini menjadi merdeka tuk nusa dan bangsa, sebagai putra bangsa kita patut memeliharanya juga mensuritauladani begitu cintanya pribumi kota gadang terhadap kekayaan budayanyo, jika masih ada yg mengindahkannya kita beri pantun sj “wahai ananda dengarlah amanat janganlah suka melegakan pangkat, hati yg rendah tanda beradat, supaya hidupmu dikasih umat”..hiks.
March 16th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Pengalaman menikmati perjalanan di sumatera barat (sebelum gempa) boleh memberikan acungan jempol. Sarana prasarana (terutama jalan), budaya, lingkungan dan alam, sejarah, juga kegiatan ekonomi (yang menghargai budaya-lingkungan-alam). Hal lain yang menarik arsitektur mesjid di sumbar sangat menampilkan berbagai bentuk (mudah2an ada yang tertarik untuk membuat tulisan ttg hal ini).
Ranah minang harus segera bangkit …….salam
March 17th, 2010 at 5:08 am
I like your article and your photos!
And I absolutely agree with your slogan, “Save our world with design and technology”. I wish I thought of that and use it for my company which happens to be heavily/focus on design using green technology !!!!
Oh well ….
On second thought, if you don’t mind if I use your slogan on my website, then let me know, okay?
Thank you for writing a wonderful article!
Sincerely,
Yohana