6 Riau Traditional Houses with Unique Designs and Characters

Have you ever traveled to Riau? Riau is a province on the island of Sumatra whose territory includes the Riau Archipelago and several other small islands. The province with the capital city of Pekanbaru is one of the richest provinces in Indonesia with a variety of natural resources, you know. Not only that, Riau also has a unique traditional house and a cultural heritage.

In addition to functioning as a place to live, the Riau traditional house is also useful for deliberation, conducting traditional ceremonies, and a shelter for all people in need. The distinctive patterns and ornaments of this traditional house also have historical value and their own meaning. Curious about what a traditional house from Riau looks like? Come on, take a look!

1. Lontiok Roof Malay House

Source: riauberbagi

This traditional house, called Rumah Melayu Atap Lontiok, is also known as Rumah Lancang or Pencalang, which is used as a residence for the Malays in Lima Koto, Riau. This house is called Lancang or Pelancang because the shape of the foot wall decoration is similar to a boat or Pencalang. Usually this house is built on the edge of a river, so the shape of the building is in the form of a house on stilts to avoid flooding or wild animals. One of the uniqueness of this house is the number of stairs which is always odd, such as five, seven, and so on.

2. Salaso Malay House with Twin Falls

Source: riauonline

This traditional house is an icon and symbol of the province of Riau. This building is in the form of a large stilt house and has several levels. This building is usually used by the general public as a gathering place so that it consists of several rooms. There is a room for deliberation, traditional meetings, storing traditional objects such as traditional musical instruments, to the kitchen.

3. Malay House Folding Kajang

Source: riauberbagi

The name of this traditional house is taken from the shape of the roof of the house that resembles a boat with the top end of the building curved upwards. The shape of the steep roof, called Folding Kajang, can make it easier for rainwater to fall from the roof of the house. But unfortunately, along with the times and the rise of modern architectural building concepts, this traditional house is increasingly difficult to find and even no longer used by the people of Riau.

4. The Malay House with Cut Limas Roof

Source: borneochannel

This traditional house is a traditional house that is often used by the majority of the people of Riau as a place to live. This house has the form of a house on stilts with a roof like a truncated pyramid. On average this building has a height of about 1.5 meters made of wood or boards. Usually, the richer the homeowner, the bigger the house will be.

There are at least five main parts of this house, namely the terrace, front room, living room, back room or bed, and kitchen. You can still find this type of house in the Riau Islands region.

5. Balai Salaso Twin Falls

Source: taldebrooklyn

The meaning of the name of this traditional house is two corridors. This type of traditional house is usually not used as a place to live but functions for community activities, such as a place for deliberations or traditional meetings by the people of Riau. Therefore, this building has various names according to its function, including Balairung Sari, Coronation Hall, Density Hall, and so on.

Just as the name suggests, the hallmark of this hall is the harmony or hallway that surrounds the entire building. The position of the floor is lower than the living room. The building is also decorated with various carvings and patterns with animal and plant motifs.

6. Shelter House of the Sultan of Siak

Source: riaumagz

This traditional house is a stopover for the Sultan of Siak, Sultan Syarif Qasim II. This house is dominated by a combination of beige, golden yellow, and blue colors that are still maintained according to their original form. Almost the same as other houses, this house is made of wood with a typical Riau stilt house model.

Unique and thick with traditional elements, right? Just like other traditional houses in Indonesia, Riau traditional houses are increasingly being abandoned by the younger generation. For that, let's preserve it by knowing and caring for the cultural heritage of this traditional house.