From Alumni to Almamater, ITB 1990 Mechanical Engineering Muslim Alumni Association Renovates West GKU Musala
BANDUNG, ftmd.itb.ac.id – The ITB 1990 Mechanical Engineering Muslim Alumni Association (IA) handed over the renovated West General Lecture Hall (GKU) Musala to Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) during a ceremony held on Friday (August 14, 2026) at West GKU, ITB Ganesha Campus. This renovation serves as a contribution from ITB Mechanical Engineering alumni to support the provision of a more comfortable worship facility for students and the academic community.
Representative of IA Muslim Mesin ITB 1990, Achmad Rizal, stated that the musala renovation represents the alumni’s care for their alma mater, as well as an effort to provide a more comfortable, clean, and peaceful prayer space.
“This musala renovation is a contribution from the alumni to the ITB campus so that students can pray with greater focus, comfort, and tranquility,” Achmad said.
The GKU Musala holds historical significance for alumni, particularly those from Mechanical Engineering. Since their college days, the musala has been one of the frequently used worship facilities. However, after approximately 30–35 years, the condition of the musala was deemed in need of a revamp to better serve the needs of its users.
The renovation initiative originated from the 35th-anniversary reunion series of the ITB Mechanical Engineering Class of 1990. The alumni then jointly raised funds to support the musala upgrade. The design process was entrusted to Doddy Samiaji, an alumnus of ITB Architecture Class of 1990, alongside a team from the architectural firm HDA + AIM.
Providing a More Comfortable Worship Facility
The renovation was designed with careful consideration of comfort, lighting, air circulation, and ease of maintenance, while maintaining the architectural character of the GKU building.
One of the upgrades involved using transparent materials such as glass blocks and enhancing ventilation to create a brighter, drier, and airy space.
The ablution (wudu) facilities also underwent renovation. Previously, the women’s ablution area was located outside the musala, offering limited privacy. Now, the ablution facilities are integrated inside the musala area with clearer separation between male and female sections.
The spatial layout was further enhanced with a seating area as well as a more organized shoe and sandal storage space. With these improvements, the musala is estimated to accommodate up to approximately 30 people at full capacity.
The design and renovation process was carried out collaboratively, involving ITB alumni and students as well as a team from Universitas Indonesia (UI).
Open to the Entire Academic Community
Achmad emphasized that the West GKU Musala is designated for all students and academic community members active around the GKU area, not exclusively Mechanical Engineering students.
“This musala is not just for Mechanical Engineering alumni or students. We hope all students and academic community members engaging in activities at GKU can utilize it comfortably,” he stated.
The renovation of the West GKU Musala is expected to provide direct benefits to the academic community while forming part of the alumni’s contribution toward improving public facilities across ITB.
Through collaboration between alumni and ITB, this facility upgrade stands as a concrete testament to the Mechanical Engineering alumni’s care for their alma mater and the comfort of the academic community in carrying out their daily activities.
