Aga Khan Award for Architecture

Aga Khan Award for Architecture
The Reflection of Post Colonial Theory and Islamic
Architecture Historism Idea.
Ambar Mulyono
Interior Design
Department
UNIKOM Banduns
masnanous@yahoo. com
Abstract
Apa yang kita pelajari tentang sejarah seni, desain dan arsitektur dunia
adalah pengetahuan yang telah distrukturkan oleh pemikir dan sejarahwan
barat, datam hat ini Eropa dan Amerika. Puncak dan penulisan sejarah
arsitektur kemudian memunculkan pohon arsitektur yang pada dekade
terakhir mulai diperdebatkan atas kebenarannya menempatkan karya-karya
arsitektur dari para "masterpiece" sebagai karya yang jenius. Penghargaan
Agha Khan untuk Arsitektur (Agha Khan Award for Architecture; AKAA)
mencoba menempatkan
seturuh aspek dalam arsitektur
dan
mengkaitkannya dengan permasalahan-permasalahan masyarakat muslim
secara menyeluruh. AKAA merangkul semua karya arsitektur yang dibuat
oleh masyarakat muslim maupun non muslim di Barat maupun Timur
yang mengadopsi budaya Islam. Dari karya-karya yang dianggap
monumental maupun karya-karya vernakuler. Hal ini dapat kita kaitkan
dengan teori Pasca Kolonial yang mencoba mendobrak struktur biner dalam
pakem Barat. Di dalam perjalannan kegiatan Agha Khan Award muncul
juga gagasan-gagasan untuk meninjau kembali arsitektur Islam dan mencoba
mengkaitkannya dengan sumber hukum Islam yang secara historis pernah
menciptakan sebuah tatanan masyarakat yang berjaya sebelum runtuhnya
kesultanan Turki.
Kata kunci : arsitektur Islam, teori pasca kolonial,
historisisme.
Preface: The Various Possibilities.
The current phenomenon of changing as a consequence of globalization seems to
emerge by the identical marks between one are and another in the different part of the
world. The history process which appears to go faster and globalize as the result of
information line that overwhelms the whole aspects of life in a nick of time making it
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impossible to cut lose from various ideologies moving it. What eventually emerges
from this phenomenon has become the center of focus of many reviews, seminars,
discussions, and researches of many disciplines. As what I will try to put into words in
this writing with the title as mentioned above is related to what has been talked about
by the world in the more or less two decades. The intellectual symptoms that lead us to
re-consider what we have done, learnt, an comprehended all through this time, which
challenges us questioning again whether things exist as they supposed to be, or we just
actually have made great mistake about out past. What I'm about to convey in this
essay is just one example of thousands cases that reflecting one or several ideologies
in attempt. AKAA contains of many possibilities of various interesting review objects
seen from many point of views and disciplines. In making a review in AKKA it is almost
impossible for us to do it only by ourselves independently. Viewing and placing it as a
sole object being cut off from various influences of interconnections as well as the
continuity within itself. The comprehensive review on it must first go through many
evaluations and reviews by many disciplines with its complete material, not just a
partial one. Perhaps we can hardly achieve the ideal condition on this review, but at
least we can make a study on AKKA through an approach by searching for supporting
data around it, which will allow us to evaluate it without making any justification. In
this essay I will only make a view on it from what might become the thought, concern or
ideology as the background of the emerging various brilliant ideas in every AKAA activity.
I will begin by relating AKAA with its superior institutions, AKTC and AKDN. From that
point the analysis on AKA itself will be put towards what have been its vision and mission,
the thoughts of its pioneer figures and also the awarded projects.
By relating AKKA with various occurring as well as passed phenomena, we might get
ourselves so many references from the postmodernism, the ideas of poststructuralist,
Islam on the effort for equality and many others. To narrowed the field, I will only view
it from the ideology or the intellectual symptoms which on my considerations they are
reflecting the ideas of Post Colonial theory dominantly. Through a review on a various
evidences as the indicating fact, especially the awarded projects, the possibility of the
existing background sharing the same idea with Post Colonial Theory can be identified.
This review on AKKA will also be related to its stand and view towards the history and
the efforts proceed on the historical material. We can analyze AKKA from the opinions
and ideas of its locomotive figures, including those content by the awarded projects
that covered the decisions representing a point of view towards history. There is always
a possibility for AKKA to produce new ideas and thoughts in writing the history of Islam
architecture or even the history of general architecture. This can be revealed from the
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ideas of its figures and reflected on the evaluation towards the awarded projects. In my
opinion, the ideas of several writers about AKKA to make the Islam Architecture history
with all its might and glory as a reference as well as comparison marked the emerging
historism in Islam Architecture. What has been done by AKAA, realized or not, is a form
of a counter act against the orientalism that constructs the historical idea on Islam
based on highly subjective and politically burdened point of view. Therefore, this review
would be supported by point of views that will lead us to the awareness and consciousness
of the Islam history from an angle differs from what has been uttered by the West. This
review is identical with the thoughts revealed by Edward Said in his book 'Orientalism'
(1978) which accused the attempts of the West to imply the hatred towards Islam. One
of the attempts carried on is the construction of Islam history leading to the judgment
on Islam as antirational, antimodern and terror.
The Tendency Toward The Stand on The Others'.
We can identify the existence of the movement spirit or perhaps an ideology inside
the AKAA, began by analyzing what have been the mission and vision of the Agha Khan
as a whole, or in particular the AKAA. As been known, AKAA is a part of the large
structure organization of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). AKDN movements
cover the field of health, culture education, rural development, institution development,
and also give a push to the growth of economy. While the AKAA under the Aga Khan Trust
for Culture is focused on awarding the best works of architecture. The activities of
AKDN are aimed at the improvement of living condition and opportunities for the destitute
society without any particular consideration on religion, tribes or gender matters1. AKKA
improve itself into a specified goal to maintain and develop the professions in the field
of architecture and related disciplines to elevate the concerns towards the root and
essence of Moslem culture and deep commitment in finding meaningful expressions of
the Islam spirit within modern living and technology context. Carrying this specified
aim, AKKA put great considerations on the architectural practices, design process, and
research with social, economy, fiscal technique and environment as base of context to
be awarded. The selected projects would be evaluated base on how great their taking
part as catalyst on new culture evolution and their sensibility towards the environment
as well as their design expediency individually. AKAA is very confident with the local
potencies of every Moslem county, which are greatly varied. Series of innovative
' Aga Khan Development Network, www.akdn.org
approaches are taken to overcome unique problems of each place in Moslem territory.
Therefore, there are particular considerations on the projects containing local creativities
and initiatives as the resource to complete the needs of function and user's culture as
well as having potency to stimulate the development related to the other part of Moslem
world. If we carry on an analysis on the awarded project, we might find a struggle for
the other' architecture without leaving the peaks of Islam architecture in the history.
Picture.01. Kampung Kali Code, Yogyakarta Indonesia, receiver of the AKAA Fifth cycles
(1990-1992): inclusion of "the other", and also an extend of Architecture of Islam. (Photo;
http: / / www. akd n. org)
The ever-awarded projects are very various, range from residence, public building,
area planning and also restoration project as well as revitalization of historical building.
AKKA also gives an attempt to reach for the building not made by architects. It comes to
our knowledge that even 90% of built environment in Moslem community are not made
by architects. The award also gives a thought on the aspect of social and its support to
the environment. This can be seen through the several-awarded projects in Indonesia,
which brought up architecture projects with social issue such as Kali Code village in
Yogyakarta (picture 01) and the restoration program of Kebalen Village in Surabaya.
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What have been uttered in the above paragraph is meant to refute the conventional
mission of architecture as monumental work. By giving the awards for that type of
project will give rise to the shifting of the contemporary community or as the continuity
and reinterpretation of vernacular architecture. This is highly relevant with the 'Chairman's
Award' honor submitted to Hassan Fathy for his contribution in giving ideas on several
matters; comprehensiveness towards the architecture expression through architect as
a catalyst in leveling the local sensibility; the ideas of architectural expression in the
local and regional context viewed from the relevance as well as the authenticity side,
the usage of rational and scientific method in accepting or rejecting the new as well as
old elements and also towards his idea about architect as the translator of the past
legacy and new articulator. What can be referred from Hasan Fathy is the importance of
learning from vernacular architecture, the usage of local material, about self-helping
and architecture for destitute community2. I see several most fundamental matters
from the description of AKKA agenda above as follow:
•
Bringing up 'the other' architecture, which all through this time have been
considered as none architecture or outsider by the architecture conventional
thought.
•
The awareness to the existence of cultural variety in the Islam world and the
attempts towards cross review on culture to build up new architecture.
The exploration and development of local materials with all their creativity,
initiative and uniqueness to be expanded in any part of Islam world.
The AKKA agendas are proposed for the Moslem society in the world with its greatly
various conditions and difference between the tribes. The AKKA search is based on the
ingenuousness and freed from dogma, above the race, nation tribe, and gender
differences. My analysis on the agenda of AKKA is related to what has been overwhelmed
the Islam world all through this time. Where Islam world is placed as marginalized
society and being underestimated, without any further sight on what is going on behind
all those existing phenomena. This circumstance can hardly separated from the fact of
history that Moslem countries once were colonized countries, therefore I will depart
from the three point mentioned above earlier to begin the analysis on the relation
between AKAA and the Post Colonial theory. At any rate, the AKKA's agenda as a whole
itself with project criteria as proposed3 reveals the indication of the fundamental ideas
2
Serageldin (1989) : p.24
Several nominee of AKAA award recipient located in community with Moslem majority or designed by 4
Moslem society in non-Moslem community area or dominated/inspired by Moslem architectural legacy or
as a form of respect towards it.
3
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of Post Colonial which will bring up the Islam architecture - that has been considered as
'the other' all through this time by the west point of view (orientalist) - to the proportional
appraisal in the architecture review as a whole, freed from the discipline hegemony of
conventional architecture. This matter is identical with Spiro Kostof's ' A history of
Architecture' (1985)4, to reconsidered the western Canon which only providing and
involving the monumental architecture and masterpiece works in survey while putting
aside non-western and non-monumental architecture. To place non-architectural projects
such as 'Kampung Kebalen Improvent Program', to be awarded, is an act of enclosure,
not because of its need to be added into the discourse of architecture discipline. This is
more to the concern to bring up the social issues that usually exist in the Moslem
countries as we can see too at 'Kampuns Kali Code Yogyakarta' Indonesia. But this
concept in a roundabout way will bring a new shade of color into the architecture discipline,
and there is even a great possibility to give birth to new paradigm of Islam architecture.
It is important to be kept in mind that what has been done by Agha Khan are
emphasized on the countries with the Moslem as the majority. In the Africa, Asia, and
Latin America which were once colonized by west. So as conveyed by Edward Said in
putting his critics on the France invasion to Egypt:"Said claims that the ideologies
adopted from the nationalism, academy, family, and so on, are creating the cultural
hegemony or respect and concentration to the Orientalism. Napoleon not only carried
sword with him, but also "books"5. Hence, from this point the power of knowledge took
part. This power of knowledge constructed how in particularly the West perceiving Islam,
including how it place Islam in the history as 'the other' and pretending its contribution
has had nothing to do in forming the West history. This edifice not only worked out in
West society but also being followed by the countries colonized by west. This frame of
mind dispersed through the schools, endowed through the government institutions, the
family and most predominantly throughout the information media. Before the discourse
of vernacular architecture came into view, the issue about architecture made by
community was never entered the discussion in the architecture schools, nor involved
the social problem within itself. What has, been the object of survey and review are the
architecture masterpiece works such as the works of Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright
or Mis Van De Rooh. Architectures that are not created by architect have no place to be
noted, and that works for Islam architecture too, whether to those considered to be the
peaks as well as the vernacular one. Obviously, AKKA's activity is just like a breeze of
4
5
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S.Kostof's,(1985) " A History of Architecture", New York : Oxford University Press
Jayson sae-Saue (2001) " a lecture on 'Orientalism' Edward Said " www.Colorado.edu
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wind in the summer, just like a stand out for what is viewed by West patron as 'the
other'.
Post Colonial architecture discourse is related to the binary monumental construction
between the West and East, traditional-cultural, structural-ornamental, which took its
start in the knowledge discipline in the XVIII century and being perpetuatized by the
contemporary regionalist placement6. In general, Post Colonial theory is mostly assembled
upon the theory of 'otherness' with all its complexity the duality of identity as well as the
differences that are produced. That becomes the reason why 'the other', 'the different
from other', 'the outsider'.... dialectically create and bring up the values and meaning of
cultural colonization. In its activity, AKKA attempts to place all the proposed projects
with all differences and variety. This effort can be seen as an attempt to pull itself away
from the binary construction existing in the west patron. Even from the review on the
cross culture that's being carried on, AKKA builds a new interaction in the interrelated
Islam culture against the west patron which denies the existence of influences from the
outside and believing itself as 'the above and beyond' in the architecture history. This
acknowledgement to the diversity and difference is very important in the point of view
of Post Colonial theory, to maintain the critical side of culture. By doing that upholding,
it can weaken a chain of monopoly and put into existence the essentialist and exclusionist
6
Gulsum Baydar Nalbantoglu (1997) : p. 8
of various identities. What can be observed between Bhong Mosque in Pakistan (picture
02) and Kampung Kebalen Improvment Program' Indonesia as the addressees of AKAA
award in 1986 are the pointed differences of many sides. The different content, as well
as context, but both received the same consideration as Islam architecture work.
AKKA 's great consideration is also related to the locality matter to bring up the
local architecture with the cultural, technology or environment context without putting
its local value inferior to those considered to be more universal. Consequently is the
emerging of very unique architectures as the award recipients representing their own
locale This thing is identical to with the regionalism that become a critic towards the
conventional hierarchy that gives privilege in placing the modern above the traditional
and the international above the local ones7. The Awards are particularly conferred to the
projects with local initiative and resource that fulfill the needs of the users culturally,
and potency to give a push to the development in any part of Moslem world. To eliminate
the existing privileges of the architectures that are considered to be universal. Important
enough to be noted that through what we can observe in Indonesia as well as several
other countries with Moslem majority, it can be presumed that in spreading the religion
of Islam - especially in Indonesia - it did not give enough architectural contribution. The
Islam architecture in Arab peninsula as the birthplace of Islam gave no meaningful
influence towards the development of Indonesia architectural physically and less further
more in the form of style or manner. Hence, we can observe here the form of mosques
architecture which are quiet different from those in Arab, as well as Africa or Turk To be
put in other words, it is obvious enough that we might not find the universality of form
in Islam architecture. What we encounter is an architecture that is not only greatly
various but also very different, thus there is no such positioning where one is placed
higher that the others.
The Idea of Islam Architecture Historism
From all sequence of AKAA agenda until the projects propose to be awarded are
selected, we can analyze a point of view or stand of AKAA towards the history. My review
on this issue is related to the intellectual foundation of AKKA mechanism that has been
working for two decades since 1978. My analysis refers to the ideas of locomotive
figures of AKAA, especially through their writings published on 'the Space for Freedom'
(1989). This is related to the questions of large numbers of Moslem architecture
'Gulsum Baydar Nalbantoglu (1997) : p. 9
practitioners or those practitioners who works for Islam world about hoe to place the
Islam foundation, quran and Sunnah, in to the architecture and built environment frame.
The analysis on their thought and writings perhaps is not representing the AKAAin one
piece as an ideology they confirm to, but depart from the consciousness as a Moslem,
just like what is being pointed by the holly quran, the AKAA executors will bring AKAA
towards an agreement of Islam foundation. Several writers taking great part in AKAA
such as Ismael Serageldin and Mohammed Arkoun become important sources, to consider
that they both are important person of the steering committee. By taking a closer look
at several writings and the tendency of AKAA agenda, hence the emerging historism in
Islam Architecture can be comprehended. The historism I refer here is the attempt to
make use of the content of Islam history as an approach in making conclusion and make
it as a reference related to the present time. This historism also refers to the Ankersmith's
opinion on the history approach in the effort to comprehend the real meaning of objects
existing in the fact of socio history8.
The history of Islam frequently written by western writers as well as eastern, gives
a push to Islam community to do something in the present context. About this matter, I
observe - and perhaps it's been a Moslem consciousness - that there is an Utopia idea
about the resurrection of Daullah Islam. In the course of history this idea is proving
itself as one of several factors giving rise to the movement of individual as well as
groups to make attempts to reach the aspiration of this resurrection. This is quite
similar to the issue of the existence of Al Mahdi that moves the people of Sudan to
make resistance toward the England colonialism. Even though the truth about Islam
itself might be still being argued, there is a fact that it has built its own history
construction in the mind of the Moslem people as well as people of the world in general.
It is importance to re-emphasize here that is necessary to differ the mentioning of
Islam history according west to the one according to the Moslem. The west constructs
the Islam history based on its own perspective, which is highly burdened by political
importance to create domination. The consequence of imperialism and colonialism greatly
disadvantaging of the ex-colonized countries from all aspects of life including economy,
politic, social and culture. The developing ideology in the ex-colonized countries is none
other than what is developing in the West. The west point of view in seeing east as an
object producing marginality on east, and worst, this condition is also being perpetuated
by the east side who does nothing but just following the developing point of view or
8
F.R Ankersmith (1987) : p. 212
ideology in west. They are considered to be superior and always right by this east side.
What has been doing by west on the east -especially on Islam world - is merely an
expression of fear against the emergence of other power that will change its domination.
In his book, 'Orientalism' (1978), Edward Said explains that the basic reason for Europe
to see as if Islam was one giant union was that Islam had been considered as a serious
threat to the Europe Christian and must be mended ideologically. From time to time,
the European rulers keep on investing the understanding where Islam always being
related to control and power9. Hence this thing also gave rise to the Postcolonial struggle
/movement, as the consequence of west attempt to alienate the non-west cultures by
using 'the other' definition. The emerging of Post Colonial as a new spirit to break the
things that all through this time has been dominated by the west become a conducive
field for the growth of historism in the eastern countries. Not only as a form of past
romantism, but it even has became a fight for the return of the glory that once achieved
in the past. Particularly for the Islam people, with the remembrance of their past try to
trace back the footstep of the glorious past, to try to reach again the grandeur they
once had. The great architectural achievement became the field of searching for the
true identity of Islam, not only from the shapes but also the sources of solution taken to
solve the environmental problem of its time.
The architectural research such as carried on by Besin Selim Hakim10 (1986), leads
the tracing for the solution of Islam city environmental from the Islam syariah. In his
writing titled 'Faith and Environment', Serageldin offer an idea to refer to the fundamental
source of Islam, the al-quran and sunnah, as the base in taking decision in architecture
and built environment planning by using accomplished achievements by the Moslem in
the past as models to solve the built environment problems in the current Moslem
society. The approach proposed is by making the analysis on the Islam architectural
achievement in the beginning of 17th century and late 20th century without thus using
them as solutions for architectural and built environment. This approach is being carried
on without necessarily disputing whether this approach is identical or different to those
executed by the west, thus this act is not just a rejection towards west pattern.
Serageldin also explains how quran and Sunnah explicitly as well as implicitly describing
the way to create built environment. If we pass on to quran and Sunnah as a reference
and fundamental stand, then will always be related to the history of Islam peak of
achievement, which can be seen as a form of historism. The next attempt is how to
9
Edward Said (2002) : Impossible History, www.harper.org
See Besim Selim Hakim (1986). Arabic-Islamic Cities. Building and Planning Principles
10
bring solutions on architecture and built environment in Islam history into the present
context with greatly different condition.
As what has been conveyed by Mohammed Arkoun, describing the Moslem
characteristic in architectural context, there is something exist to become the essence
of Islam value and there are other things that can be changed or adapted to the context.
In this case, what is referred as 'Islam way of thinking' is still in a hard struggle under
the economic, politic and social matters pressure. According to him, what's been done
by AKAA is a form of searching for the authenticity of history, sociology, architecture
and urbanism. The similar reviews on Islam architecture taking the Islam history
resources anywhere in this world including Indonesia became the indication of the
resurrection of Islam architecture.
Bibliography
Ankersmith, F.R. (1987), Refleksi Tentang Sejarah: Pendapat-pendapat Modern Tentang
Filsafat Sejarah, Jakarta: PTGramedia.
Hakim, Besim Selim, (1986), Arabic-Islamic Cities. Building and Planning Principles.
London.
Jayson Sae-Saue (2001), a lecture on "Orientalism" Edward Said, www.colorado.edu
Kostof's, Spiro, (1985) "A History of Architecture", New York : Oxford University Press
Nalbantoglu, Gulsum Baydar, Wong ChongThai & the authors, (1997), Postcolonial Space.
New York: Princenton Architectural Press.
Said, Edward (2002), Imposible History: Why the many Islam cannot be simplified
www.harper.org
Serageldin, Ismail (1989), Space For Freedom, TheAga Khan Award For Architecture.
Butterworth Architecture.
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