VISITORS’ PERCEPTION: THE LANDMARKS OF BANTEN LAMA

Banten Lama District, the centre of Banten Sultanate, has several preserved historical buildings and sites. One of the historical buildings is Masjid Agung that is considered as Banten Lama Landmark refering to its nickname ‘santri city’. This visual research aimed to identify Banten of 40 visitors of Banten Cultural Festival that randomly chosen. Quantitative analysis using the Osgood scale was used to obtain the landmark priority. The result shows that according to visitor’s perception, Masjid Agung, Avalokitesvara Temple, and Surosowan Palace are the most suitable to be Banten Lama landmarks. The main reason for choosing these buildings and site as Banten Lama Landmarks is its intangible factor of pilgrimage place. Landmark through the visitors’ perception by using 14 historical buildings and site as the objects studied. Multilevel selection was applied to select buildings and sites that could be perceived as Banten Landmark. Respondents


BACKGROUND
According to Lynch theory (1960), Landmark is one of the important principals in indetifying the region or city that influences its development. Landmark represents the image and attraction of the city or region. Banten Province has several landmarks that reflect the image of the region. Banten Lama Heritages present a visual image of Banten architectural splendour in the past (Guillot, 2008). Referring to Inovasee (2016), Banten is entitled as one of the santri cities in Indonesia because many people have come to enhance their Islamic knowledge and understanding in this city. Religious atmosphere coincides with Islamic pilgrimage around the Masjid Agung reinforces the designation. The heritages of Banten Lama become important because they can be used as a landmark, as a pointer or as a marker of the location that can be recognized easily by the community, both citizens and visitors. Imaging of a city cannot be built but be formed by itself through the introduction of physical objects (buildings and other physical elements) as well as non-physical objects (social activities) over time. The historical aspect and the introduction of the "image" captured by the urban community become important in interpreting the meaning of the regional image (Wikantiyoso, 2006 , 2002) is identical with extending pedestrian way of the row columns, the twostorey buildings, the gavel walls facades. The corridor enriched by rectangles with colonial triangular towers style and billboards that appropriately placed.

According
to Lynch (1960), landmarks are an important element of the city form; an external element and a visual form that stands out from the city. It helps people to orient themselves in the city and recognize environmental urban elements. Landmark is considered to have better features if the city shape is perceived clearly and uniquely by its surrounding inhabitants. The sequences of several landmarks influence the feeling of the people' comfortably which leads to their orientation with appropriate scales. Suwarno (1986) stated that the city image can be physical (visible) and non-physical (invisible). Physical form through visual perception can Vol. 03, No. 2, August 2018: 104-110 Visitor's Perseption: The Landmarks of Banten Lama [106] be grouped into figure and ground, similarity, proximity, closure, symmetry, continuity, and simplicity (Thorne and Henley, 2005). The nonphysical aspect is related to spirit of the place (memorable values, historical values, and other cultural values).
Figure and ground principle is used to identify objects as a form of building and its surrounding environment as a background. Meanwhile, the same principle states that the closed objects which have similar shape are considered in the same group, yet the most prominent one is perceived as a unique object. The principle of proximity states that the various objects considered as a group because of the similarity in shape, colour and quality. Closure states that people accept the objects as letters and images as a whole and intact eventhough the object is presented in a non-intact form. Symmetry states that the human mind tries to see the centre of the objects and considers all to be symmetrical. Continuity states that if an object is located straight, the object is considered a group. Simplicity states that a person tends to see things from the simple to the complex.

VISUAL PERCEPTION METHODS
Visual research with quantitative data processing and qualitative analysis is used as the research method. The steps taken are; object selection, participant selection, questionnaire making, data collection, data processing, and analysis (Sanoff, 1991;Winandari, 2002 Qualitative methods are used to describe the reasons for choosing a Landmark that are considered appropriate or not in accordance with the image of the Banten Lama Region. The analysis process is carried out by Osgood Scale (Winandari et.all. 2002). The respondent selected the landmark priority based on the rank value. The analysis process is carried out by organizing and functioning statistics, seeing the trends that occur, and interpreting the results and trends.
The results revealed that the Masjid Agung was considered the most suitable for Banten image. This building was chosen by 30.42% of participants. The next sequence is Avalokitesvara Temple at 21.25% and Surosowan Palace 14.58%. Buildings that are not chosen by visitors and considered not representing the image of Banten Lama are Watu Singayaksa, Kerkoff, and Tomb of Pangeran Sabrang Lor (see Table 1 and Figure 2).
Masjid Agung is considered most suitable as Banten landmark (chosen by 30.42% respondents). Most visitors choose this historic building because of the intangible factor as a pilgrimage place as well as its unique form. This reinforces the previous assumption that Banten is famous as the City of Santri. Compared to other buildings around, this mosque has the unique shape because of its 5thstorey roof. Almost all respondents considered the Sultan Hasanuddin Tomb as part of the mosque because of the location. Both buildings are located side by side and separated by a fence. This reinforces the similarity theory by Thorne and Henley (2005)  as a place of worship. This place was preserved and supported by its surrounding communities. Similar to Masjid Agung, this building has a different form from its surrounding. Chinese style with striking colours dominated by red and yellow and its 7th-layer tower make this building different from others and easily recognizable.
Surosowan Palace was chosen in the third place. The palace location which was passed when going to the mosque or temple caused respondents knows the existence of the palace and some of them were interested in visiting the place. This place is unique by large area and buildings in ruins that reminiscent of glory in the past.
All three buildings that are considered as most appropriate landmarks in Banten Lama reinforce Lynch's (1960) theory. Based on the theory, the landmark is strongly influenced by the physical shape of a building such as high tower of Masjid Agung and Avalokitesvara Temple, magnificent unique of its colours and stacking roof, and easily recognized by the visitors. The three buildings remind visitors of the glory of the past during the Sultanate of Banten and the existence of immigrant Chinese traders.

CONCLUSION
The landmark of the Banten Lama based on visitor's perceptions is displayed through the Masjid Agung, Avalokitesvara Temple, and Surosowan Palace. The three buildings were chosen by visitors because of their socio-cultural activities and visual forms of buildings. The main purpose of visitors is to have a pilgrimage and memorable trip. It is supported by the unique building form compared to the surrounding environment. Masjid Agung and Avalokitesvara Temple become the first and second choices of buildings that are considered appropriate as the landmark of the Banten Lama. The landmark of Banten Lama exists through its physical shape in all three towers, Vol. 03, No. 2, August 2018: 104-110 Visitor's Perseption: The Landmarks of Banten Lama [110] colours and stacking roof as well as magnificently unique form and memorable place referring to the glory of Banten Sultanate and the existence of immigrant Chinese traders in the past. The landmark of Banten Lama is the objects or sites which are considered as a pilgrimage place.