POTENSI PUSAT KEBUDAYAAN SABAH UNTUK MEMUPUK INTERAKSI SOSIAL DALAM KALANGAN KUMPULAN PELBAGAI ETNIK

Sabah is home to many indigenous ethnic groups each with their own language, culture, and spiritual beliefs and rich with its cultural heritage. In Sabah, several cultural centres is built to celebrate these but the indigenous community struggle in establishing meaningful connection with these buildings. Cultural centres can be defined as public buildings that have more than two functional spaces such as libraries, galleries, museums, and theatres. This research investigates the relationship between spaces and the social interaction within its indigenous community. Therefore, this research aims to determine the potential of cultural centres in anchoring the multi-ethnic. This research addresses the research questions: RQ1 - What are the current contextual condition and cultural elements that contribute to increasing social interaction in cultural centres?, RQ 2 - What are the features of a cultural centre in Sabah that can increase social interactions? The research was conducted in a survey among the community. The most iconic buildings based on its architectural design and style is CC3 – Sabah Museum, Kota Kinabalu. For programs and activities offered, CC7 – Koisaan Cultural Village or commonly known as KDCA hosts the state’s most prominent festival. For spaces provided by cultural centre, CC3 – Sabah Museum offers the most variety of spaces. The findings of this research can contribute to the missing gap in literature that touches on Sabah’s study on cultural centres especially the relationship between architecture and the immediate context of the community. In conclusion, this study shows how Sabahan indigenous cultural centres are important in bringing people from different ethnicities together.