The Sacred Architecture Edition

Colin here. Last year I visited the island of Sumba for the first time. It’s about an hour flight from Bali and is a very interesting place, specifically for its unique architecture. Just as Bali has its own aesthetic codes and ways of designing, the Sumbanese have a distinctive style of house:

Why is this interesting? 

Despite different cultural and linguistic groups, the architecture unites the Sumbanese under their religion, Marapu.  The belief channels spirits of the dead, sacred places, heirloom objects, and instruments used to communicate with the spirit world.

According to Arch Eyes:

The Sumbanese architecture reflects the significance of Marapu in their lives, with two main types of homes – the peaked Uma Mbatangu and the peak-less Uma Kamadungu. The Uma Mbatangu is a square-shaped structure with a high central peak made of thatched alang-alang, while the Uma Kamadungu is a cool house that lacks a central peak and is used for less ceremonial purposes. Both homes are supported by mystical posts and lack windows, relying on cross-ventilation through small openings in the walls.

The Big House, or Uma Bungguru, serves as the main residence for the oldest member of the village and the site of important family rituals such as weddings and funerals. Meanwhile, traditional Sumbanese villages are located on elevated sites, with rows of homes forming a central plaza. This central square, aligned north-south, contains megalithic tombs and other sacred objects, blending the houses and graves into a harmonious coexistence.

The space is divided into a few distinctive areas, and the narrow, high central point is where sacred heirlooms are stored. Offerings and other sacred rituals are held in this space, as offerings to ancestors. 

The homes make use of cross ventilation and natural cooling through small holes in the walls, similar to the Middle Eastern approaches to cooling through wind. (CJN) 

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Thanks for reading,

Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN)

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