#2020 - ARCHITECTURE AND PANDEMIC

Humans will always try to adapt to new conditions. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March of 2020 in Indonesia, people have been challenged with new lifestyle changes. The conditions of large-scale social restrictions, lockdowns, or physical distancing cause the definition of space as a dimension then become more limited while, on the other hand, it enriches the definition of spatial quality.

Although everything can be managed with virtual communication and by replacing activities in public spaces from home, these are not long-term solutions. It can not be denied, several jobs and the need for people to continue interacting directly still require being outdoors. On the other hand, in a more macro context, the nation is also trying to revive economic activity.

Streets, parks, shopping halls, or any other related communal spaces grow into “abandoned” spaces yet it is not something that will disappear. Public space will shift according to the architectural spatial context during a pandemic, both physically and psychologically.

If in the next 5 years we are still faced with the same conditions where the vaccine scenario has not yet shown its light, then Architecture within the context of this public space will certainly be a challenge. How will the spatial quality in this new context be defined for public space in the future?