Vernakularisme, Informalitas, dan Urbanisme: Café sebagai Ekspresi Gaya Hidup Kontemporer

Abstract

The word caforiginated from coffee, which is commonly used to describe a place where one drinks coffee, i.e. coffeehouse. Generally, this place is not too large in space providing drinks and snacks, as well as accommodates other activities for use either in the morning or late afternoon. This habit of coffee-drinking is carried out by societies in various countries around the world, including in Indonesia. This research explores caf that embed to the local context of Bandung as case studies. This is due to the increase number of caf in Bandung during the early 2000s which demostrate conditions that are unique and perhaps unfounded in other places of Indonesia. There are 5 (five) design variables that illustrate the diversity of caf in Bandung: (1) Scale (cafdimensions), (2) Class (low, medium, high economic-level), (3) Type (internet-caf bookstore-caf music-caf gallery-cafetc), (4) Location (part of a commercial area, in one?s front yard, along the street, within a public open space), as well as (5) Time (morning, afternoon, late afternoon, evening, or more than one period of time). It is found that caf in Bandung have developed beyond the boundaries of their origin and denotative meanings. Their existences have become part of the everyday life of the society, it serves not only as a place to chat and spend free time during late afternoons, but also as transactional-spaces that accommodate diverse activities. Referring to Barbara Kirschenblatt-Gimblett [1] this situation illustrates the phenomenon of urban vernacularism that is marked by the following characteristics: sporadic, self produced, absence of author and creator identity, as well as free from any formal pressure.