Alun-alun Kejaksan Square: a gathering place between worldly and spiritual needs

The outdoor project, commissioned by the governor of West Java from the firm SHAU Indonesia, brings together the wishes of the various buildings facing the square: the desire for a prayer area for the mosque, a public space for the municipality and citizens to gather in the center of the city, and the reinstatement of an obelisk-shaped historic monument

Having previously designed public space projects in Indonesia organized by municipalities and executed through a public procurement process, SHAU designs a central main square next to the mosque that can be used for spiritual ceremonies or even national gatherings and events. All other functions such as a bus stop, shelter, memorial plaza, hawker center, playground, and micro-library are loosely clustered around the perimeter

The goals also included maximizing green areas in order to improve the micro-climate, rainwater management in the form of a stepped planter landscape which structures all functions, circulation and intermediate spaces. An iconic Gapura marking the entrance from the city was installed on one side of Alun-alun and a five-pillar gate marking the entrance from the At-Taqwa Mosque was installed on the opposite side. Both opposing gates represent a dialogue between worldly and spiritual needs, emphasizing an open dialogue with the intermediate plaza as a gathering place

Both materials and geometry refer to traditional elements that are reinterpreted in the topography of the planter, the shelter and to the micro-library in a transformative way in which each element derives from the same material, language and construction logic. By choosing brick as the main material for Alun-alun Kejaksan, he not only refers to the historical places of Cirebon, but also adheres to practical aspects such as the availability and stimulation of the local economy, while using a contemporary design language