Papers by S. Yahya Islami
Contemporary architecture has been influenced by a shift of interest from the dialectic Derridean... more Contemporary architecture has been influenced by a shift of interest from the dialectic Derridean theories of language to those of Deleuze and Guattari who put more emphasis on transitions, experimentation and material presence. New digital design tools as well as new construction materials have opened up more possibilities for architects. E-paper, digital screens, printed concrete, composite polymers and dynamic cladding systems, have allowed designers to relish architecture at the surface level. Moreover, the process of architectural design is shifting from the desktop to the virtual world of the computer. NURBS, Blobs, Metaforms, Isomorphic Surfaces and other complex geometries are now possible using surface-driven computer modelling software. Because of this, the resultant architecture display a much more distinct appreciation and mastery of surface-effects. The following article argues that contemporary architecture is becoming increasingly a process of surfacing, both as a process of revealing and as a process of concealing. Surface, in common parlance, is generally understood as the exterior boundary of things, the outer skin of any object. In this sense, surfaces are actual, material, textural entities that we often encounter first. The surface is also taken to be something that conceals: "it was not what it appeared to be on the surface." However, it is when things surface that they become evident or apparent; they appear out of a previously concealed existence or latency. Thus, surfacing is a process of becoming explicit, of becoming experientially apparent in a movement from virtuality to actuality. This article argues that the use of emerging computer technologies in architecture, have resulted in a renewed prioritization of surface and surface-effects. It shall be concluded that the surface-driven nature of most contemporary modelling software has resulted in a new
International Journal of Architecture and Urban Development, Jul 1, 2021
More than eight hundred years ago, before the invention of digital tools, Muslim builders had ach... more More than eight hundred years ago, before the invention of digital tools, Muslim builders had achieved the creative vision and aes thetic complexity required for the production of Muqarnas: an architectural device that connects surface ornament to divine concepts. This research adopts a qualitative, comparative, and critical use of architectural source material to cons truct an alternative unders tanding of Muqarnas within a documented his tory of architectural allegories and theories. The paper follows the argument that in the absence of figurative depiction in Islamic art, geometry assumes greater symbolic power, which manifes ts itself in ornament, s tructure, and space. In this sys tem, Muqarnas uses complex geometry to connect wall surfaces to spacious volumes. In the metamorphosis of two-dimensional planes to three-dimensional space, Muqarnas occupies the in-between space that connects the two worlds in a smooth and parametric process of transition. Thus, Muqarnas operates similarly to the folds of Baroque architecture and expresses, in a manneris t, yet geometric manner, the connection between the two realms of body and soul. However, unlike the Deleuzian model of Baroque sacris ty, light does not enter from below; from the realm of the body and the senses, but rather it shines from above; from the realm of the soul and divine concepts. From this point of view, Muqarnas becomes a significant phenomenon in architecture being a symbolic, ornamental, and parametric architectural device that simultaneously alludes to the allegories of the Platonic tradition, the Deleuzian concept of fold/unfold, and to recent theories of Parametricism.
The following attempts to discuss the different approaches to privacy adopted by Adolf Loos and L... more The following attempts to discuss the different approaches to privacy adopted by Adolf Loos and Le Corbusier, as two of the most influential pioneers of modern architecture. It will be argued that both architects were influenced by the developing technologies of their time, yet they reacted differently to the increasing influence of film and photography on art, architecture and everyday life. The paper structures its argument in two parts: the first part discusses Walter Benjamin's theories on the difference between traditional art and modern art and how advances in technology undermined the aura of a work of art and made it more accessible to the masses. In the second part of this paper, Loos and Le Corbusier's different architectural strategies are analysed and compared. It will be argued that Loos's approach to the distinctions between publicity and privacy and masculine and feminine aspects of architecture, differs fundamentally from those views held by Le Corbusier, who was much more in favour of the modern technological advances. It will be further elaborated that Loos's architecture displays a translucent philosophy, maintaining the interaction and seduction between the two sides of the architectural surface. Le Corbusier on the other hand, fluctuates between a reflective philosophy and transparent philosophy of the gaze, imploding the traditional distinctions between inside and outside, private and public.
Arq-architectural Research Quarterly, Mar 1, 2014
In the early twentieth century, Modernists problematised ornament in their refashioning of archit... more In the early twentieth century, Modernists problematised ornament in their refashioning of architecture for the industrial age. Today, architects are formulating different responses to image and its (re)production in the information age. In both discourses of ornament and image, surfaces are often the perpetrators: visual boundaries that facilitate false appearances, imprisoning humanity in a shadowy cave of illusion. The negativity and shallowness associated with superficiality is also closely related to the separation of images from the real, where the former is seen to be a deficient representation of the latter. Such views follow a familiar metaphysical model characterised by the opposition between inside and outside and the opaque boundary that acts as a barrier. This model determines the traditional philosophical approach, which follows a distinct hierarchical order and a perpendicular movement of thought that seeks to penetrate appearances to get to the essence of things.
Journal of Daylighting, Nov 29, 2022
Traditional solar screens in Iran (called Moshabak) are architectural devices used mainly in hot-... more Traditional solar screens in Iran (called Moshabak) are architectural devices used mainly in hot-arid regions, with two interrelated functions: controlling the penetration of sunlight and gaze from outside. Consequently, Moshabak plays a significant role in veiling the interior from both and improving the quality of space. This research investigates the significance of aperture proportions for the lighting behaviour and transparency characteristics of Moshabak. The experiments are conducted in a typical residential room, under the sunny and clear sky of Kashan -a typical desert city in Iran. The study is divided into three stages and uses three kinds of Moshabak based on aperture proportions: horizontal, vertical, and square. Stage one of the research focuses on daylighting behaviour, stage two measures annual glare and stage three analyses transparency. For each type of Moshabak three different perforation percentages are used in order to better clarify the performance of different aperture proportions. The research findings show that aperture proportion has a significant impact on the performance of Moshabak. Moreover, Moshabak with horizontal apertures perform better than the rest, while Moshabak with vertical aperture proportions had the lowest performance in the three stages of the study.
ABS TRACT: Taking into account the decrease in public presence in religious places, it appears th... more ABS TRACT: Taking into account the decrease in public presence in religious places, it appears that one of the main reasons for the los t connection between audiences and sacred sites is the lack of sense of place. Creating a sense of place is the job of architects who utilize several factors to this end. The objective of the present s tudy is to show that in designing, an architect considers a set of the personal unconscious mind and collective unconscious mind to achieve the optimum design based on the needs and a sense of place. Hypotheses were formed based on this. The mos t complete among them was that the mos t solid and adequate unders tanding of place is composed in a space that encompasses a combination of the two groups of semantic and physical archetypes. A variety of phenomenological, environment psychology, and analytical approaches helped the s tudy to realize its objective. A combination of field and library s tudies provided qualitative and quantitative data to the r...
Wissenschaftliches Kolloquium vom 19. bis 22. April 2007 in Weimar an der Bauhaus-Universität zum... more Wissenschaftliches Kolloquium vom 19. bis 22. April 2007 in Weimar an der Bauhaus-Universität zum Thema: 'Die Realität des Imaginären. Architektur und das digitale Bild'
When thinking about traditional Iranian architecture, one imagines extensive ornamental patterns ... more When thinking about traditional Iranian architecture, one imagines extensive ornamental patterns that adorn almost every surface of mosques and other prominent buildings. Yet, many theories of architecture since the beginning of twentieth century have considered ornamentation a superficial and superfluous layer. But, are these ornamental surfaces superficial and can they be removed so easily? This paper uses a qualitative research methodology based on theoretical cross examination and critical analysis to highlight the significance of surface and appearances in architecture and argue that formulating a strategy to adorn architecture is in fact the generating gene of every architectural movement, from Modernism to Postmodernism and even to Parametricism of recent times. By setting up a philosophical and a theoretical discourse about the notion of surface and the various metaphors used in architectural theory, this paper concludes that from the woven walls of first architectural space...
The following attempts to discuss the different approaches to privacy adopted by Adolf Loos and L... more The following attempts to discuss the different approaches to privacy adopted by Adolf Loos and Le Corbusier, as two of the most influential pioneers of modern architecture. It will be argued that both architects were influenced by the developing technologies of their time, yet they reacted differently to the increasing influence of film and photography on art, architecture and everyday life. The paper structures its argument in two parts: the first part discusses Walter Benjamin's theories on the difference between traditional art and modern art and how advances in technology undermined the aura of a work of art and made it more accessible to the masses. In the second part of this paper, Loos and Le Corbusier's different architectural strategies are analysed and compared. It will be argued that Loos's approach to the distinctions between publicity and privacy and masculine and feminine aspects of architecture, differs fundamentally from those views held by Le Corbusier, who was much more in favour of the modern technological advances. It will be further elaborated that Loos's architecture displays a translucent philosophy, maintaining the interaction and seduction between the two sides of the architectural surface. Le Corbusier on the other hand, fluctuates between a reflective philosophy and transparent philosophy of the gaze, imploding the traditional distinctions between inside and outside, private and public.
Iran University of Science & Technology, 2012
Technology has had many influences on the Iranian society in different eras. Today, information a... more Technology has had many influences on the Iranian society in different eras. Today, information and telecommunication technologies have revolutionized the basic structures of society and a new network society has been propagated inside the traditional and semi-modern context. In countries like Iran, which are in the process of modernization, a chaos deriving from the transition period is observed that leads to a certain peculiarity. In this transition era the norms of traditional societies, which offer discipline for these societies, have been eliminated in favor of new norms that are not codified yet. The transformation to the new situation and also the confrontation with the electronic world has instigated many disorders and anomalies in the society, with its physical expression becoming visible in contemporary architecture. Today, Iranian architecture is affected by Kitsch Art and has become superficial. Using attractive visual capsules and exploiting the human habit of imitation...
Today, mass media act like a magic mirror, not only reflecting the reality of societies, but also... more Today, mass media act like a magic mirror, not only reflecting the reality of societies, but also projecting a variety of images onto people’s thoughts. Because of this great ability to produce, reproduce and disperse images, mass media have acquired considerable influence on people’s lives. Among the different media, the television in particular has become an inseparable part of most Iranian households. Within the various programs offered, television series stand out from the rest because they are presented incrementally and over a longer period of time, and therefore, attracting large, faithful audiences who continuously absorb their visual communication. This paper traces people’s conception of richness, luxury and quality in architecture by examining its representation in recent Iranian TV series. It uses a qualitative research methodology based on theoretical cross-examination, critical analysis and thematic comparison of Iranian homes, particularly houses belonging to the weal...
International Journal of Architecture and Urban Development, 2012
Different world views and philosophies in defining development problems and their solutions deriv... more Different world views and philosophies in defining development problems and their solutions derive currently from different disciplines. They refer in many respects to the principle of cause-effect as a fundamental relationship between phenomena. The history of differing values and attitudes presented in management and design indicates the importance of this relationship. This sort of knowledge and some of the values and attitudes needed by built environment professionals can be explored by the Endogenous Development Model and its associated internal paradigms of production-process and supply-demand relationships. The first is responsible for the evolution of thought in a diachronous space-time dimension and the second causes the generation of typologies created in a synchronous three-dimensional space. Particular emphasis is placed on the meaning of development in the context of endogenous people-centred development. The paper addresses the fact that the means of production and the...
Do the words “East” and “West” mean more than just geographical orientations or areas? This seems... more Do the words “East” and “West” mean more than just geographical orientations or areas? This seems to be a simple question, which cannot be answered easily. The difficulty in answering such a question seems to be rooted in questions that deal with universal concepts. Defining such universal concepts, which seems quite simple, is very difficult indeed perhaps even impossible in some cases. “East” and “West” are among such concepts, and of course are bonded to even more complex concepts such as “culture” and “civilization” in
Iran University of Science & Technology, 2016
When thinking about traditional Iranian architecture, one imagines extensive ornamental patterns ... more When thinking about traditional Iranian architecture, one imagines extensive ornamental patterns that adorn almost every surface of mosques and other prominent buildings. Yet, many theories of architecture since the beginning of twentieth century have considered ornamentation a superficial and superfluous layer. But, are these ornamental surfaces superficial and can they be removed so easily? This paper uses a qualitative research methodology based on theoretical cross examination and critical analysis to highlight the significance of surface and appearances in architecture and argue that formulating a strategy to adorn architecture is in fact the generating gene of every architectural movement, from Modernism to Postmodernism and even to Parametricism of recent times. By setting up a philosophical and a theoretical discourse about the notion of surface and the various metaphors used in architectural theory, this paper concludes that from the woven walls of first architectural space...
The following attempts to discuss the different approaches to privacy adopted by Adolf Loos and L... more The following attempts to discuss the different approaches to privacy adopted by Adolf Loos and Le Corbusier, as two of the most influential pioneers of modern architecture. It will be argued that both architects were influenced by the developing technologies of their time, yet they reacted differently to the increasing influence of film and photography on art, architecture and everyday life. The paper structures its argument in two parts: the first part discusses Walter Benjamin's theories on the difference between traditional art and modern art and how advances in technology undermined the aura of a work of art and made it more accessible to the masses. In the second part of this paper, Loos and Le Corbusier's different architectural strategies are analysed and compared. It will be argued that Loos's approach to the distinctions between publicity and privacy and masculine and feminine aspects of architecture, differs fundamentally from those views held by Le Corbusier,...
Islamic arts are often identified by their abstract compositions based on geometric principles an... more Islamic arts are often identified by their abstract compositions based on geometric principles and spiritual concepts. Using artworks from different eras, this paper highlights the presence of a particular model of thought in Islamic arts in which the hierarchy of perspectival vision is abolished. The main argument is based on the ability of some artworks to be looked at from any angle while maintaining a unified meaning and value. This work proposes that such arts possess the principle of horizontality, which can be evaluated much like other more familiar principles of Islamic arts. Through different examples and via simulative research methodology, this paper elaborates how the principle of horizontality is the resultant of an abstract view from above in which the limits of perspectival vision are surpassed in order to communicate meanings of higher order. It is through this distant, parallel vision from above that the artist and his audience re-experience the divine act of creation and their interpretations become components of a sophisticated world of symbols.
Introduction The hegemony of vision has been reinforced in our time by a multitude of technologic... more Introduction The hegemony of vision has been reinforced in our time by a multitude of technological inventions and the endless multiplication and production of images. We live in a world characterised by speed, which is often understood by instantaneous perceptions of the eye. Moreover, in cities and towns, we are surrounded by architectural surfaces that often communicate to us on a visual level alone. In this world dominated by vision, surfaces talk to the eyes.
Architectural Research Quarterly, 2014
In the early twentieth century, Modernists problematised ornament in their refashioning of archit... more In the early twentieth century, Modernists problematised ornament in their refashioning of architecture for the industrial age. Today, architects are formulating different responses to image and its (re)production in the information age. In both discourses of ornament and image, surfaces are often the perpetrators: visual boundaries that facilitate false appearances, imprisoning humanity in a shadowy cave of illusion. The negativity and shallowness associated with superficiality is also closely related to the separation of images from the real, where the former is seen to be a deficient representation of the latter. Such views follow a familiar metaphysical model characterised by the opposition between inside and outside and the opaque boundary that acts as a barrier. This model determines the traditional philosophical approach, which follows a distinct hierarchical order and a perpendicular movement of thought that seeks to penetrate appearances to get to the essence of things.
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Papers by S. Yahya Islami