Transformation of Architectural Elements of Rumah Gaba-Gaba in Merauke Old Town, South of Papua: An Embodiment of Adaptation

Based on its history, the city of Merauke was a city that developed from the Old Town of Merauke which was formed because it was a post for the Dutch government in the early twentieth century. At that time, the Catholic Missionaries came along with old teachers from the Moluccas who taught education for indigenous Merauke people in the rural area. When the old teachers were on duty in the rural area of Merauke, they need housing in the city area that serves as a place for their families to live which later developed as the Rumah Gaba-Gaba. Then the purpose of this study is to find the form of adaptation that occurs in the architectural elements of the Rumah Gaba-Gaba which later became the forerunner of the uniqueness of the Old Town of Merauke and the development of other sectors in Merauke. The method used in this study is a qualitative method with direct observation and interview techniques (primary data) for 5 observed cases at the location of the Merauke Old Town residential area as well as content analysis and visual analysis (secondary data) in the architectural analysis of the original residence and the Merauke Old Town. The results of this study include an analysis of the adaptation and transformation of the architectural elements of the Rumah Gaba-Gaba (foundations, floors, walls, and roofs) brought by the Moluccans in Merauke. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.