Kajian Semiotika Karya Arsitektur Rumah Tjong A Fie: Penelusuran Periode Sejarah, Gaya, dan Karakteristik Bangunan

Abstract

Tjong A Fie Mansion in Medan is a significant example of Peranakan Chinese architecture that reflects the acculturation of local and colonial cultures, and is recognized as one of the city's protected cultural heritage buildings. This study analyzes the architectural work of Tjong A Fie Mansion through a
historical-period approach, an examination of architectural style, an assessment of building characteristics, and a semiotic reading of its codes and signs. A descriptive qualitative method combining literature study
and field observation was used to examine the object within its socio-cultural context. The findings show that stylistically the mansion merges European (Art Nouveau), Chinese, and Malay architectural elements
into a distinctive harmony, evident in its material use, spatial organization following Feng Shui Ba Zhai principles, and rich ornamentation. Through Roland Barthes' semiotic codes—hermeneutic, semantic,
symbolic, and proairetic—the study reveals that architectural elements such as the courtyard, dragon and phoenix motifs, ancestral altar, and reception halls carry layered meanings related to wealth, status,
spirituality, and cultural identity. The mansion functions not merely as a residence but as a medium of cross cultural communication, representing the interaction between immigrant and local communities in early
twentieth-century Medan.