Negotiating Multicultural Identity: From Structural Authenticity to Ornamental Representation in Medan's Architecture

Abstract

In multicultural cities, architecture visually amplifies or marginalizes competing cultural
identities. Medan - defined by Malay, Batak, Chinese, Tamil, and colonial influences -
exemplifies how vernacular elements are selectively integrated into urban space. Design
literature often overlooks how cultural priorities shift across building typologies, and no
unified analytical framework has previously been applied to systematically distinguish
authentic structural vernacular engagement from ornamental commodification across Medan's
multi-ethnic built environment. This study analyzes twelve buildings (1884–2023) spanning
religious, governmental, and hospitality functions using the Authenticity-Commodification
Analytical Framework (ACAF), a novel five-type typological instrument developed and
validated through this research. Field observations reveal a critical dichotomy: religious
buildings preserve authentic structural vernacular to assert cultural legitimacy, whereas hospitality and civic projects
adopt surface ornamentation as branding tools.  The study advances three
theoretical contributions: (1) the ACAF as a replicable classification instrument for
multicultural urban built environments; (2) empirical demonstration that owner identity, not
building function or era, is the primary predictor of vernacular engagement mode; and (3)
evidence that vernacular tradition is an evolutionary continuum persisting across 139 years
and multiple structural technologies. The framework enables authentic representation in
Medan's urban heritage and is transferable to other postcolonial multicultural cities in
Southeast Asia.