Lorong Lungguh: An Anti-object Architecture by Budi Pradono

My proposal was selected during the Bintaro Design District 2020 which held on September 2022 creative event. I proposed an anti-object architecture called "Lorong Lungguh," a library that blends with nature in the middle of the Sampirien forest. Every wooden stick and every tree in the forest has a barcode that contains specific information for visitors. Lorong Lungguh will be an underground stopover situated in the middle of the forest.

Lorong in Indonesian means a small tunnel, and Lungguh in Javanese means “to sit.” So, instead of creating an object in the middle of Bintaro’s Forest, I tried to create a rare experience. Most people enjoy the forest from a distance, but in this case, people will be able to experience it from their cars. I have the desire to bring people here to experience the beauty of this nature, even more so after the pandemic when we now appreciate nature more. By going into the forest, we can satisfy our curiosity from within an architectural masterpiece buried in the ground.

Merleau-Ponty has described the human body as the beginning of human perception. According to this approach, all meanings related to the environment begin in the body. Approaches based on the body and bodily movement in architecture could find meaning in architectural phenomenology in terms of the body's experience of the space.

This project is an architectural masterpiece based on the concept of "anti-object" by Kengo Kuma. In his writings, he stated that Le Corbusier and Mies Van Der Rohe made nature the background of their buildings, as an object that stands out regardless of the concept of minimalism. However, Kuma appreciates what Bruno Taut did when he tried to bridge matter and consciousness. This is also reflected in several of Kuma's works that highlight the human experience of traveling and procession. So he makes his facades mostly out of pixels or even louvers to eliminate the object/product architecture, an attempt that was quite successful.

Lorong Lungguh is a very small architectural project, only measuring 33 square meters, compared to the size of the site, which is 13,89 Hectars. To experience the building, one has to walk around in the middle of the forest. And since it will be buried underground, no one can see it; all that will be visible is the louver covering the roof, floating like leaves. If people have to walk far, they can sit and enjoy the lowest area of the tree. This is a chance to feel the body-feeling space of underground architecture. In my opinion, this is the product of anti-object architecture, a reinterpretation of the theory proposed by Kengo Kuma. He advocated for plainness and formulated his ideology with the words "less is more," which formed the basis of the purism principle, an idea about doing away with all kinds of decorations and embracing simplicity.

Man's separation from the artificial environment is a fundamental problem that architecture tackles and sometimes even creates. Therefore, the relationship between subject and object should be the subject of care. Phenomenology, which plays an important role in architectural space research, aims to create spaces based on experiences and to address the senses in architectural design to prevent alienation from the environment.

I created spaces with a focus on the bodily experience. However, it is important to pay more attention to emotional and spiritual issues. My goal is to allow people to experience space with their bodies while also using a technological tool. Using their cell phones, visitors can scan every wooden stick along the path and read stories.

The Alastrawas gelato inside the Lorong Lungguh Pavilion will be a major site of attraction. People will be able to walk around and sit at the underground site. Lorong Lungguh tells the story of human life. Everyone has to go through a journey in life where, at some point, they have to sit back and reflect on the past, present, and future.

In short, Lorong Lungguh is a representation of a future library where literacy is spread throughout nature. Visitors will be able to take a literacy journey in the middle of the Sampireun forest. There, they will find points of information that will enrich their journey. In the final moment, they will find a place to relax and learn about the past and the vision for the future.

Lorong Lungguh is a completely anti-object architectural concept. In just ten days after the Bintaro Design District event, the structure will be disassembled, the excavation pit will be covered, and the building will cease to exist.