EXPLORING THE HERITAGE VALUE OF THE COLONIAL BUILDING OF CILILIN RADIO STATION AS A REPRESENTATION OF LOCAL CULTURE IDENTITY

Abstract

Colonial buildings constitute a form of cultural heritage that embodies not only historical value but also socially constructed meanings shaped through continuous community interaction. The Cililin Radio Transmitter, a colonial-era building located in West Java, has experienced functional and interpretive transformations alongside shifts in its surrounding social and cultural context. This study aims to explore the heritage values embedded in the Cililin Radio Transmitter and examine how the building is perceived, received, and interpreted as a representation of local cultural identity. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed through field observations, interviews with local residents across different age groups, and document analysis to understand the collective narratives associated with the site. The findings reveal that the building is not perceived merely as a colonial relic, but as a dynamic “memory space” enriched with layered meanings, ranging from everyday utilitarian functions to a symbolic marker of local history and shared memory. These results indicate that heritage preservation should move beyond a focus on physical conservation toward recognizing collective memory, social reception, and lived experiences within the community. From a Visual Communication Design perspective, this study highlights the potential role of representational and narrative strategies in mediating historical values and reinforcing local cultural identity within contemporary social contexts.