A Study of Symbols and Perceptions as an Effort to Establish the Existence of Architecture in Muhammadiyah Educational Buildings

Abstract

The architecture of Muhammadiyah schools, as a representation of modern Islamic education, holds strong symbolic potential through visual expressions—such as the sun logo, Islamic geometric facades, and distinctive Islamic ornaments—but has not been extensively studied from the perspective of user perception and institutional identity construction. In the context of urbanization and the homogenization of architectural forms, the loss of symbolic dimensions poses a latent threat to institutional differentiation based on values. This study aims to explore the relationship between architectural symbols, user perception, and the existence of institutional identity within the Muhammadiyah school environment. The approach used is qualitative-descriptive with an intrinsic case study design, focusing on three Muhammadiyah schools in the urban areas of East Java. Data collection techniques include participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and visual documentation, while analysis is conducted thematically and semioticly using the theoretical frameworks of Peirce and Barthes. Findings indicate that architectural symbols not only function as aesthetic elements but also serve as narrative mediators shaping users' collective consciousness and ideological affiliation with the institution. Symbols perceived effectively form distinctive, contextual patterns of institutional identity representation aligned with progressive Islamic values. The results of this study reinforce the position of architecture as a medium of cultural communication and offer a meaning-centered design approach for the development of contextual and character-based Islamic schools.