Affordance of the Interior Space of Al-Jabbar Grand Mosque

Abstract

This study aims to identify and analyze affordances in the interior of the Al Jabbar Grand Mosque, Bandung, as a relationship between the physical characteristics of space and the behavior, experience, and meaning constructed by its users. The study departs from the premise that a mosque interior does not merely serve as a container for ritual activity, but also as an environment capable of directing orientation, shaping social interaction, and generating spiritual experience through spatial configuration, architectural elements, lighting, and symbolism. Specifically, this research examines three dimensions of affordance—sacred, functional, and social—to understand how interior elements support religious practice while accommodating public activity in contemporary mosques. A qualitative-interpretive approach with an embedded single case-study strategy was employed. Data were collected through field observation using behavioral mapping, semi-structured interviews with worshippers, visitors, and mosque management purposively selected (12–18 informants), as well as visual documentation and a literature review. Data were analyzed thematically through reduction, categorization, and source triangulation. The findings show that the configuration of the prayer hall, the orientation of the mihrab, natural lighting, symbolic elements, and circulation patterns generate affordances that influence worship orientation, comfort, devotional focus, and the social interaction of worshippers. The study also identifies phenomena of dual affordance and affordance conflict, in which the same interior elements simultaneously invite ritual and non-ritual behavior (religious tourism, visual documentation) at the same point in space and time, potentially diminishing the quality of devotional experience. Based on these findings, the study formulates an evaluative framework and an affordance-based interior design guideline that can be used to balance sacred and public functions in contemporary monumental mosques