Bumbung, Malay Traditional Roof

Anthropologically speaking, Malay is a collective term of indigenous peoples of South East Asia that share similar language, custom and tradition. The Malay population is extended from Madagascar to the Pacific, but the main dwelling place of Malay peoples are at the two lands that are separated by the world longest straits, Malacca - Indonesia's Sumatra Island and Malaysia Peninsular. Malay traditional houses can be distinguished by the design of their roof or 'bumbung.' Many modern building in South East Asia still maintain the unique bumbung design on top of their roof to incorporate the local identity to their building.

The Malay house's bumbung are generally triangular shaped saddle roof to suit the tropical hot and wet weather of South East Asia. It can be divided into four common group based on the mutual shape:

1. Bumbung Panjang (Saddle/Open Gable Roof)
2. Bumbung Perabung Lima (Hip/Pavilion Roof)
3. Bumbung Limas or Bumbung Melayu
4. Bumbung Lentik (Curved Roof)

Bumbung Panjang

This bumbung is the simplest and the most common roof especially for the Pesisir (Coastal) Malay houses. There are a lot of name that are referring to the same or similar bumbung such as Belah Bubung/Bumbung (Folded Roof), Bumbung Lipat (also means Folded Roof) and Bumbung Perabung Panjang/Melintang (Long Saddle Roof). Rumah Air, Rumah Tiang Dua Belas, Rumah Melaka, Rumah Serambi, Rumah Serambi Gajah Menyusu and Rumah Kutai are variants of Malay House that use this bumbung. This bumbung has three common variant.

Lipat Kajang - Kajang means shelter in Malay. The roof has a gradual slopes for basic shelter from weather, and is the most popular roof among the Coastal Malay's common and water houses. Bumbung Lipat Kajang can be spotted at all traditional Malay villages from Acheh, Riau, Malacca, Kedah-Siam, Pahang, Pontianak, Brunei to as far as Philippines.

Lipat Pandan - This roof is named after a Malay wafer-like cuisine, Lipat Pandan. The roof has a steeper slope compare to Lipat Kajang to allow more space for the attic floor, and also popular to the coastal Malay. This bumbung is also used by the inland Malay and indigenous Malay subethnics like Nias islanders house, original Dayak long house, Marga Batin house (Kajang Leko) and some Batak houses where all family members or even villagers are living together under one roof. The term Kajang in Kajang Leko house is rather a functional term and not architectural term, meaning shelter.

Atap Layar - Also known as Bumbung Layar, Bumbung Panjang Berlapis, Ampar Labu or Atap Bersayap is a Lipat variant that is bended out halfway to its bottom. The bumbung is a combination of Lipat Pandan and Lipat Kajang, and is also a popular choice among the traditional Malay houses. Banjar's Banjung house and Terengganu house, and are examples for the use of this type of bumbung, but the former has a significant steep and gradual roof combination.


Bumbung Perabung Lima

Perabung Lima can be identified by the additional four saddles (Perabung Tepi) attached to it's main ridge (Perabung Tunjang). This bumbung is also known as Perabung Bungkus (All-Covered Roof) and can be seen at Southern Sumatra, Pattani-Kelantan-Besut, Singora, Siam and Java Islands including Lombok, Madura and Bali.

Bengkulu House roof is a variant of Perabung Lima that looks like a Banjung version of Perabung Lima roof. This design is influenced by Indian's Dravidian architecture to reflect the shape of a traditional Hindu's temple and also quite popular in many part of Java Islands.

This bumbung has a very broad variants. Another popular modification is Perabung Empat (Pyramid Roof) where the main ridge is erased from the design. This design is mainly used for traditional Mosque and Surau but also applied by residents in Java Islands. At Istana Kenangan  in Perak the roof is hexagonal.


Bumbung Limas

Bumbung Limas is a blend of Perabung Lima with Bumbung Panjang. Limas has the shape like the Dutch Gable Roof. The term Limas is derived from "Perabung Lima Emas" or Golden Perabung Lima. This roof is unique to the Malay peoples at the former territories of the Old Johore Sultanate (The last Srivijayan Kingdom) like Selangor, Pahang, Palembang, Jambi, Riau-Lingga and Singapore, and due to its exclusivity to Johore Malay people, Limas are also known as Bumbung Melayu (Malay Roof).


Bumbung Lentik

This variant is unique to the inland Malay from the rural part of the land. This bumbung was originated from Ranah Minang of West Sumatra. It is called Bumbung Kabau/Kerbau (Buffalo Roof) due to its buffalo horns motive. This bumbung is the traditional roof for Minang peoples and their subethnic and relatives like Rao/Rawa, Siak, Kampar, Mandailing, Batak, and Negeri Sembilan, and very popular at Ranah Minangkabau (West Sumatra), Bataklanden (North Sumatra), Inland Riau and Western Peninsular. At Riau, Bumbung Lentik is also known as Bumbung Lanchang (Ship Roof).

Toraja's Tongkonan roof at rural area in East Sulawesi is the gambrel version of the bumbung lentik. It also have the same Buffalo motive like Minang house but with unique two slopes on each side. Tongkonan roof is by far the rarest roof in the whole Alam Melayu (Malay Archipelago).

I will add the pictures later.

Update: I had upload the pictures. Please go to this link.
Sorry for the wait and thanks for your interest.