Tsunami natural disaster ever to hit the region of Aceh, Indonesia on December 26, 2004. This disaster has caused grief, especially for the people of Aceh. To remember the tragic events, The Indonesian government build a museum named Tsunami Museum. The Museum was opened in 2009 and was built in order to commemorate the victims of the tsunami disaster, as a Center for research and learning about the tsunami, and evacuation centers if the tsunami disaster from happening again. In addition, the museum is also a symbol of the strength of the people of Aceh in the face of the tsunami disaster.
Tsunami Museum building, which located on Jalan Iskandar Muda-Banda Aceh, looks like stilts. Various objects that display in this museum include the electronic stimulation as well as photos of the victim and the story presented the victims who survived the tsunami disaster.
Aceh Tsunami Museum was designed by Ridwan Kamil, an architect from Indonesia. Now, he has become a Mayor of Bandung for the period 2013-2018. The Museum has the form of a meaningful and unique. When entered into the museum, visitors must pass through a narrow and dark alleys between two walls of the high water. The design of these spaces aim to remind back atmosphere and the panic in the event of tsunami. The walls of the museum are decorated with images of people who are dancing Saman. It is the symbolic meaning of the strength, discipline, and the religious beliefs of the people of Aceh. From above, the shape of the roof is like the waves of the sea.
The ground floor was designed like a traditional home staging Aceh that survivors from tsunami waves. The design of the museum is prioritizing "secondary skin" made from GRC with geometric motifs.
The third floor on museum building was given an Islamic nuance decorations. from the outside, the form of the building looks like a ship with a lighthouse standing upright on it. On the third floor, there are several facilities such as geological room, library, prayer room, and souvenir area. On the geological room, visitors can obtain a variety of information about tsunami disaster, about earthquake, and the reason why tsunami occurs through an explanation of display and simulation tool in the room.
The roof of the museum which is flat and spacious was designed as an evacuation zone if an earthquake Occurs. The top floor wasn't opened to the public because considering safety and security factor of visitors. From the top floor, visitors can see almost the entire territory of Banda Aceh city