PATTERNS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF OLD CITY MORPHOLOGY (CASE STUDY FORT MARLBOROUGH, KAMPUNG CHINA AND KAMPUNG MALABERO KOTA BENGKULU)

Abstract

Urban Morphology is an applied science that studies about how the pattern of a city space were made by the history , and also learn about the development of a city. The old city area of Bengkulu is a British-formed city starting in 1719 which has special characteristics. This paper aims to identify the pattern and special characteristics of the old city morphology in Fort Marlborough Region, China Town, and Tapak Paderi area in Bengkulu City . Methodology used in this study is a qualitative descriptive with diachronic reading and typo-morphplogy analysis. To get the pattern and characteristics of those mentioned areas, detail aspects such as buildings and materials, road and block patterns, land use activities and open spaces were used as an indicator. Result of the studies shows that there is a change in the urban planning of Bengkulu city. At first, British colonial planned Bengkulu as a port and trade city where the beach of the bay area was the center of the city. But later, with the development of the city, Bengkulu is no longer a seaside city anymore. Now, Bengkulu has been growth towards the south and west of the city. It’s showed by the transfer of the city center from fortress area into the Bentiring area . In term of material, road and block patterns , and also land use activities , can be seen tha t there was a concentration of road and block patterns where almost all the blocks had the same size with close distance, at first of British colonialism. There are also three main nodes which confirm the city center, along with an other small nodes that mark the city area. But now days, morphological characteristics of Bengkulu city especially for the road and block patterns are heterogeneous , where there are two or more patterns were collid e s , and the main road axis have north-south pattern. The building s also have changed, from adoption of European architectures at first, into vernacular architecture that adapts Indonesian climate by using gable and shield roof now.