Balairung

Whereas a rumah gadang is a proper building, the balairung is a pavilion-like structure used solely for holding a consensus decision-making process in the Minang society.

According to the Minangkabau Dictionary, a balairung is a building where a decision-making consensus is held, led by the chief (penghulu) of the adat society (ninik mamak).

The Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language defines the balairung as a balai ("pavilion") or a large pendapa where the king meets with his people (bangsal kencana is the Yogyakarta-Surakarta equivalent).

[2] A balairung has the same form as a rumah gadang, employing a dramatic curved roof structure with multi-tiered, upswept gables.

[4] The balairung is a wooden building where the group of chiefs, or penghulu, collected under the name of ninik mamak, leading a meeting to solve village affairs.