Joglo Roof

The joglo is the most complex of the traditional Javanese roof types, found on the main houses (omah) and open pavilions (pendopo) of noble families, palaces and official residences in Central and East Java, Indonesia. Its steep central roof, nearly a pyramid with two peaks, rises over four tall central columns topped by a stepped timber ceiling.

Roof hierarchy

Javanese roofs were ranked by the social and economic status of the owner. In ascending order of complexity the main types are:

• Kampung - a simple gabled roof for ordinary houses;
• Limasan - a hipped roof;
• Joglo - the most elaborate, traditionally reserved for the palace, official residences, government estates and noble houses.

Unlike limasan and kampung roofs, the joglo does not use king posts.

Structure

The roof is built around four innermost columns, the tallest in the house, which support the steepest roof of all Javanese types. Above them sits the tumpang sari, a layered beam structure forming a ceiling shaped like an inverted stepped pyramid. The space below it, the dalem, is the most sacred part of the house and is usually left empty; incense was traditionally burned there, and the bride and groom sit there during weddings.

Additional rings of columns and lower roof extensions enlarge the basic form. Very large joglo roofs, such as the Grand Pendopo of the Mangkunegaran Palace in Surakarta, look almost like a mountain.

Variants

Sources list seven joglo types: Kepuhan, Taraju Mas, Lambang Gantung (Pangrawit), Wantah, Ceblokan, Tawon Boni and Semar Tinandu. There are also "male" and "female" styles, the male being larger.

Coverings

Javanese houses are not raised on piles, unlike most Indonesian vernacular houses. Across Java, clay tile is now the dominant roof covering: in BPS data, more than 80% of houses in Central Java, East Java, West Java and Yogyakarta have tiled roofs.

Influence

Joglo and limasan roof structures were adopted in mid-18th-century Dutch "Indies style" buildings and continue to appear on modern halls, university buildings and airport terminals.