"Preserving Aceh's Distinctive Culture: The Significance of Aceh Cultural Week (PKA) in an Architectural Context."

Paper Abstract: Aceh Cultural Week (PKA) has been a pivotal cultural celebration in Aceh, Indonesia, to uphold the province's exceptional cultural heritage since 1958. With the passage of time affecting Aceh's culture and declining traditional cultural practices, especially among the younger generation, the PKA has aimed to retain and revitalize localism by bringing together the artists and culture enthusiasts committed to promoting  Acehnese culture. By organizing various cultural activities, the PKA operated with a vision to redefine the essence of Aceh, firmly anchoring it in vernacular values and preservation of endangered traditions. In architectural design and urban development, the twenty-three districts in the Aceh region that composed the event individually showcased their distinct traditional houses, including the design, materials, and building techniques. All the efforts made by the PKA tried to defend Aceh from losing its authentic cultural identity that was caused by the homogenizing forces of nationalization, globalization, and the introduction of new technologies. Therefore, this paper explores the vital role of the PKA in addressing the challenge of cultural decline, particularly in the aspect of local architecture, through semi-structured interviews and visual analysis. It also investigates how the PKA contributes to bolstering the pride and the sense of imagined community of the Acehnese people by creating similar statements of the exhibitions. Finally, the research underscores the indispensable role of the PKA in preserving specific heritages through the lens of vernacular values, highlighting the significance of the built environment and architectural traditions as integral elements of Aceh's distinctive cultural identity.