Shaping the Future of Cultural Heritage: How UNHAS Experts are Redefining Museum Conservation in South Sulawesi
MAKASSAR — The South Sulawesi Cultural Preservation Agency (BPK) has officially partnered with experts from the Department of Archaeology at Hasanuddin University to lead a feasibility study for the restoration of the region’s four most significant historical museums: the La Galigo Museum, the Makassar City Museum, the Balla Lompoa Gowa Museum, and the Maros Regional Museum.
This crucial initiative took place over three days, from 16 to 18 May 2026, and was led directly by the South Sulawesi BPK Restoration Working Group in collaboration with the academics. This strategic move marks a new chapter in the integration of academic research with public cultural heritage conservation policy in Indonesia.
Why is this restoration important?
A museum is not merely a storage space for antiques, but rather an epicentre of public knowledge. Through a series of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) held intensively over the three days of the event, a team of experts from UNHAS acted as the main resource persons to draw up a restoration blueprint based on international conservation standards.
This study aims to ensure that the restoration process not only repairs the physical structure of the building but also preserves the authenticity of its historical, archaeological and anthropological value.
Multidisciplinary Collaboration Among UNHAS Experts
To address complex conservation challenges, UNHAS has deployed interdisciplinary experts organised into three strategic focus areas:
- Maritime and Urban History Conservation: Drs. Laode Muh. Aksa, M.Hum. and Yusriana, M.A. are overseeing the restoration of the La Galigo Museum and the Makassar City Museum to ensure that the city’s and maritime history narratives remain fully preserved.
- Revitalisation of Traditional Architecture: Dr Supriadi, M.A. is leading a study for the Balla Lompoa Gowa Museum, ensuring that the restoration of this traditional wooden palace—a key element of Gowa’s cultural reconstruction—retains its original vernacular structure.
- Preservation of Prehistoric Sites: Dr Yadi Mulyadi, M.A. is focusing his expertise on the Maros Regency Museum, which serves as a key gateway to knowledge of the prehistoric karst archaeology of the Maros-Pangkep region.
This collaboration is also strengthened by multidisciplinary synergy between archaeologists from the Faculty of Humanities at UNHAS and a team of civil engineering and architecture experts.