Landmark Identification of Pekanbaru
Abstract
Landmarks play a vital role in shaping the city’s image as orientation markers and visual identity elements. Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau Province, has experienced rapid development that produced many iconic buildings, yet systematic studies based on public perception remain limited. This research aims to identify the main landmarks of Pekanbaru City and analyze the visual characteristics influencing their legibility. A mixed-method approach was applied through field observation, visual documentation, and a questionnaire survey involving 150 purposively selected respondents. Descriptive and statistical analyses using SmartPLS were conducted to examine relationships among visual perception variables (singularity, location, uniqueness, memorable) and landmark recognition. The findings reveal that An-Nur Grand Mosque, Soeman HS Library, and the Riau Governor’s Office are the most recognized landmarks. Location and memorable factors have significant positive effects, while uniqueness shows a negative influence. The study emphasizes that enhancing landmark design and spatial arrangement strengthens urban navigation and visual identity in Pekanbaru.References
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Askarizad, R., & He, J. (2022). Perception of Spatial Legibility and Its Association with Human Mobility Patterns: An Empirical Assessment of the Historical Districts in Rasht, Iran. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215258
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Długozima, A., & Rybak-Niedziółka, K. (2022). The assessment of the attractiveness of memorials in historic urban landscape. Journal of Urban Design, 27(4), 459–482.
Elshater, A., Abusaada, H., & Afifi, S. (2019). What makes livable cities of today alike? Revisiting the criterion of singularity through two case studies. Cities, 92, 273–291.
Frampton, K. (1983). Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance (1983). Seattle: Bay Press.
Gbran, H., & Sari, S. (2025). Studying the visual impact of modern construction on historic cityscapes: a case study of Lawang Sewu building, Indonesia.
Guy, B. (2024). Gordon Cullen: Serial Vision in Urban Design. Urban CGI. https://www.urbancgi.com/articles/gordon-cullen-serial-vision-in-urban-design/
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). Mediation Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7_7
Hall, S. (1992). he Question of Cultural Identity. Modernity and Its Futures.
Lynch, K. (1960). The Image of the City. In Relevansi teori landmark dan citra kota. MIT Press.
Nasar, J. L. (1998). The Evaluative Image of the City. SAGE Publications.
Rahman, F., & Kurniawan, H. (2021). Penerapan Ciri Khas Arsitektur Melayu Pada Fasad Bangunan Kontemporer Di Kota Pekanbaru (Kasus Perkantoran Pemerintahan Di Tenayan Raya). Journal of Architectural Design and Development, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.37253/jad.v2i2.4967
Rapoport, A. (1977). Human Aspects of Urban Form: Towards a Man-Environment Approach to Urban Form and Design. In Contemporary Sociology (Vol. 8, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.2307/2066198
Relph, E. (1976). Place and placelessness. In Key Texts in Human Geography (Issue January 2008). https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446213742.n5
Ruchinskaya, T., Delgado-Jiménez, A., Smaniotto Costa, C., Horan, C., Kirdar, G., & Palmese, C. (2024). Placemaking in Practice Volume 3. In Placemaking in Practice Volume 3. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004691926
Semeraro, T., Zaccarelli, N., Lara, A., Cucinelli, F. S., & Aretano, R. (2020). A bottom-up and top-down participatory approach to planning and designing local urban development: Evidence from an urban university center. Land, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/land9040098
Tuan, Y.-F. (1977). Space and place: The perspective of experience. U of Minnesota Press.
Yesiltepe, D., Dalton, R., & Ozbil, A. (2021). Landmarks in wayfinding: a review of the existing literature. Cognitive Processing, 22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-021-01012-x
ZIAEI, S. (2014). Urban landmarks and their relationship with place attachment. Master’s Thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Published
2025-11-28
How to Cite
HUDA, Samani - et al.
Landmark Identification of Pekanbaru.
SIGMA TEKNIKA, [S.l.], v. 8, n. 2, p. 457-466, nov. 2025.
ISSN 2599-0616.
Available at: <https://journal.unrika.ac.id/index.php/sigmateknika/article/view/8278>. Date accessed: 12 feb. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.33373/sigmateknika.v8i2.8278.
Section
Architecture
Keywords
Landmark, City Image, Visual Identity, Perception, Pekanbaru.
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