Travelogue 28/5/22 - Surau Langgar Rindu

I like the passion and spirit in Hj Abdul Karim Embong who is a multitalented man (a singer, a poet, an actor, a teacher, and even a horse trainer). He built Langgar Rindu which is a free worship place for the poor kids. Out of good will, doing this all by himself, I can feel he is mentally strong and able to withstand stress and difficulties in life. In my journey of pursuing architecture, I always feel lonely, unconfident and sometimes I want to give up. This is what I should learn from him, to be passionate and resilient to overcome all the negative vibe and continue the work until it is done.

Looking from far, I thought Langgar Rindu might be lack of human comfort, ergonomic and proper detailing as it was built by a layman without proper construction knowledge. However, when almost all of us enter the building, it proved me wrong. The building structure is firm and strong enough to withstand the weight of 40+ people. In the surrounding, there are shading trees, bird sound, gentle breeze, and natural view. I feel comfortable as I sit on the timber floor although the building is full of occupants. Encik Limbong showed us how he do the timber work and explain about the timber joinery. He also said Langgar Rindu to him, is not a construction work, but a craftwork. There was a session that all of us sitting around him and listen to him presenting a poem about Langgar Rindu.

The issue I found about this building is that the vehicular noise that consistently disturb me because the building is located just next to the main road. I think it will be better if the building sit further away from the main road. Despite this, the current location allows the people sit in the car easily notice this special buidling. According to Encik Limbong, there were random visitors come because they were attracted by the uniqueness of Langgar Rindu as they pass by.

When come to architectural practice in real world, the construction industry is always profit-oriented. Now, Encik Limbong is doing another renovation work for the dilapidated religious school nearby Langgar Rindu. I salute him on his dedication in serving the poor community and his perseverance in carrying out the tedious construction work alone. Visitation to Langgar Rindu and having the chance to see Encik Limbong is truly an eye-opening encounter.