Nusantara Architecture as an Architectural Theory from the Global South: The Case of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-632-6_17How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Nusantara Architecture; Local Wisdom; ASEAN Architect; Architect Law

Abstract

Since the collapse of modern theory, namely when the architectural phenomenon was symbolized by the bombing of Pruitt-Igoe, architectural theory triggered postmodernism in architecture. Charles Jencks is one of the figures who popularized the term postmodern in architecture, particularly in the context of architectural tradition. For almost six decades, the concept has been a reference not only in the northern hemisphere but also in the southern hemisphere. Similarly, the theory of colonial or classical European architecture persists due to its resilience in preserving cultural heritage in the southern hemisphere. This study explores the significant principles of Nusantara Architecture in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand as a theory equivalent to modern architecture and the postmodern architectural paradigm. Data were collected through content analysis and observation. The research findings show that the criteria of local wisdom and local architecture tend to align with the characteristics of Nusantara architecture. This study has implications for the application of Nusantara architectural principles in various countries across Southeast Asia and for the representation of Nusantara architecture on the international stage. From the perspective of design methodology, Nusantara architecture provides a more universal framework for modernizing Indonesian architecture, thereby allowing practitioners greater creative freedom in their architectural practice.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Wasilah Sahabuddin
AU  - Moh. Sutrisno
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/04/13
TI  - Nusantara Architecture as an Architectural Theory from the Global South: The Case of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Architectural Research and Design (ARDC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 261
EP  - 274
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-632-6_17
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-632-6_17
ID  - Sahabuddin2026
ER  -