Students from the Faculty of Engineering (FT), Universitas Indonesia (UI), who are part of Team U, have successfully created Lengkongliu. This modular bamboo installation breathes life into local traditions through visual and kinetic experiences. This performance-based installation combines Balinese and Chinese traditions, optimizing its form to respond to the potential of its location while integrating cultural symbolism with artistic expressions of light, shadow, and movement.
Lengkongliu is made from bamboo and rattan and is crafted using traditional joint techniques. In addition to bamboo and rattan, it incorporates fabric, concrete, and steel to support its structure and aesthetics. Its screen is a wind catcher, channelling the wind to animate the installation. Lengkongliu has three main advantages: a performance-based design that maximizes environmental potential, such as wind flow, a concept rooted in Balinese and Chinese traditions, and a modular system for efficient and flexible construction across various locations.
Under the guidance of Prof. Ir. Antony Sihombing, M.P.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Architecture FTUI, Team U, consisting of seven students, successfully brought this innovation to life. Four of the students are from the Architecture program—Vine Novia Pakpahan, Jasmine Arindita Khalis A., Syahlaisa Afra Amani, and Luqman Kamaludin—while the other three are from the Interior Architecture program: Muhammad Izzudin Alqassam, Cecilia Grace Simamora, and Laura Mellisa.
According to Prof. Antony, FTUI Architecture students are well-trained in planning and design concepts. “These students are currently in their final design studio course, Architecture Design Studio 5, making them quite experienced. Over seven semesters, they have studied design methods, so when working on Lengkongliu, they could quickly tune in and develop an appropriate concept. Their design is contextual, combining bamboo material with wind elements, and was constructed at full scale (1:1) in China,” said Prof. Antony.
Thanks to this innovation, Team U won two awards in the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Association of Southeast Asian Nations International Colleges and Universities Construction Competition, the largest construction competition in China, which has been running for 23 years. In this competition, architecture students are challenged to design and build a full-scale (1:1) innovative art pavilion using bamboo as the primary material. The first stage of the competition took place across six countries—Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, and Guangzhou, China.
Organized by the School of Architecture at South China University of Technology and Guangzhou Nansha Bird Park, Team U won First Place in the Indonesian Division and Second Place at the international level. The announcement for the regional Indonesian level was held at the Faculty of Engineering and Planning, Architecture Study Program, Universitas Warmadewa, Bali, on October 26, 2024. Meanwhile, the international-level results were announced on December 16, 2024.
The Dean of FTUI, Prof. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., expressed his hope that Team U’s innovation will inspire creativity and encourage students to explore architectural design. “Lengkongliu will serve as a competition-winning project and be realized in Guangzhou as part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and ASEAN International Colleges and Universities Construction Competition exhibition. Moving forward, this installation is expected to serve as a model for architecture that adapts to local potentials and inspires culturally-based innovation,” he said.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia
