Sustainable Disaster Heritage Tourism Evaluation at the Aceh Tsunami Museum: An Architectural Critism Analysis

Deni Deni (Department of Architecture, Universitas Malikussaleh, Aceh Utara, 24351)
Salsa Syafiqa (Department of Architecture, Universitas Malikussaleh, Aceh Utara, 24351)
Hendra A Hendra A (Department of Architecture, Universitas Malikussaleh, Aceh Utara, 24351)
Eri Saputra (Department of Architecture, Universitas Malikussaleh, Aceh Utara, 24351)
Nayeem Asif (Department of Architecture, International Islamic University Malaysia, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur)
Aris Munandar (Department of Architecture, Universitas Malikussaleh, Aceh Utara, 24351)

Electronic Journal of Education, Social Economics and Technology
Vol 7, No 1 (2026)

The Aceh Tsunami Museum is a monumental symbol of the collective memory and resilience of the Acehnese people in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Designed by Ridwan Kamil, the building was originally intended as a memorial and educational facility, but over time it has faced challenges in maintaining the philosophical spirit that underpins its architectural form. This architectural critique study uses a descriptive-reflective qualitative approach with a dialectical architectural thinking critique method through the basic idea of Spirit of Place on the mental connection between humans and places in architectural design principles towards the concept of metaphorical architecture as a meaning-forming element, presenting the Tsunami Museum building in Banda Aceh as a research object. The dialectic between ideal ideas and empirical reality is the focus of the research analysis, which is presented between the reflection of the physical space and the mentality of visitors, referring to specific findings. The results of the reflection show a shift in design, whereby the symbolic power of the museum through its spiral shape, water, and lighting has created a strong vertical monumental impression, while the study of the spirit of place dialectic shows a horizontal design direction interpreted from the widespread impact of the damage.