Vol. 5 No. 2 (2025): Architectural Research Journal

Architectural Research Journal (ARJ), Volume 5, Number 2 (2025) presents a collection of six scholarly articles that collectively explore the dynamic interplay between architecture, urban life, cultural identity, and socio-spatial transformation within Indonesian contexts. This issue highlights how architectural spaces ranging from commercial environments and public squares to traditional communal buildings and historic urban districts respond to generational shifts, cultural hybridity, modernization, and sustainability challenges. By integrating empirical analysis, interpretive narratives, and longitudinal observations, the contributions in this volume advance critical discussions on architecture as both a cultural expression and a socio environmental mediator.

The first article examines shopping malls in Bali as contemporary urban third places for Generations Y and Z. The second article focuses on Puputan Margarana Renon Square and its contribution to Denpasar’s development as a sustainable city. The third article analyzes the transformation of building façades in the Pasar Kayoon area of Surabaya between 2015 and 2025. The fourth article offers a reflective and interpretive exploration of Balinese architectural knowledge through the rewatching of the film Petualangan Sherina during the 2017 eruption of Mount Agung. The fifth article investigates architectural acculturation in Tuban’s Arab Quarter by tracing cultural hybridity in shophouse design. The final article examines the Bale Banjar in Kuta as a space for communal deliberation and the preservation of Balinese culture amid modernization and tourism pressures.  

Together, the articles in this volume demonstrate the richness and diversity of contemporary architectural research in Indonesia. By addressing themes of sustainability, cultural continuity, urban transformation, and social practice, ARJ Volume 5, Number 2 (2025) contributes meaningful perspectives that support inclusive, context-sensitive, and culturally grounded architectural discourse.