Resilience of Balinese Royal Palaces: A Conservation-Based Architectural Approach to Living Monuments in Peliatan and Ubud

This study examines the architectural resilience of Puri Ubud and Puri Peliatan as living monuments in Bali, Indonesia, with a focus on their adaptation to tourism development and modernization while maintaining cultural significance. Using a conservation approach based on local wisdom integrated with Burra Charter standards, this study investigates how these royal palaces have transformed physically and socially while preserving their historical and spiritual values. Using qualitative methods including direct field observations, in-depth interviews, and archival research, this study analyzes the adaptation strategies of the palace architecture, considering construction techniques, materials, spatial organization, and evolving social functions. The findings show that both palaces have implemented critical conservation methods that balance preservation with current and future needs. Details of the research results show that minimal physical transformation occurred in the adaptation of materials, structures, and construction techniques as well as modifications to the spatial layout in both Puris. Meanwhile, the results of social and functional transformation were analyzed based on the results of observations, interviews with Penglingsir of Puri and involving the perception of the surrounding community and tourists totaling 100 informants. From this perception, the results show that 54% of participants acknowledged the ongoing social and functional resilience of Puri Peliatan, while 73% emphasized the same for Puri Ubud. The challenges faced during the implementation of the critical conservation concept in both palaces are the absence of an integrated policy related to preservation, utilization, and revitalization activities because the palace has not become a cultural heritage object, the lack of community involvement in the preservation activities of the palace and the surrounding area, the lack of multi-stakeholder education related to heritage management and cultural literacy related to the palace. This study contributes to the conservation strategy of living monuments by addressing the gap between cultural preservation and functional requirements. The proposed architectural resilience model offers valuable insights for the management of world heritage sites, especially in rapidly developing tourist destinations.