Journal of Researches in Islamic Architecture

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In current time, modern architecture design opinion along with new generation of academic graduated architects has great influence on new buildings, such as mosques design. One of the most important effects is the distortion of shapes and space, which is headlined as new design view of mosque in architecture and society. Unlike the past which mosque buildings were followed by special tradition style in each era, there is much diversity of types and design methods, which it cannot be classify in tradition or any specific category by shape and form. In addition of extreme evolution on design and built process of contemporary buildings, this article is trying to have a specific overview in the orientation of mosque designing. Then classifying the indexes of this development with identification and on the other hand notifies the effective courses on mosque architecture process. Research questions are: can we suggest any features of Iranian current mosque design comparing to Islamic world design? What standards can we consider? What is the design style of contemporary mosques? And what is the specification of each? Many researchers have proposed approaches for classifying the effective streams on contemporary architecture of Islamic countries, particularly the modernist mosques. These approaches investigate the recognition of the principles of design, favorite variables of architects, and also their work product as architecture body. Each of these researches, in turn, has suggested different categories or for modernist mosques. For example, "Ismail Serage-aldin" in his article titled "classification of effective approaches in contemporary architecture of Islamic countries", divided this approach into five groups of popular approach, traditionalist approach, people-oriented approach, adaptable modernism approach, and modernist approach. These approaches have an effective role in different streams of architecture design in contemporary era, particularly in the designing of mosques. This article is aimed to recognize trends of designing mosques in contemporary era specifically and by identifying indicators of these changes classifies them and recognizes effective streams on the evolution era in the architecture of mosques. Therefore, after reviewing performed classifications, the desired attitudes for investigating works are introduced and tables are prepared for each of these works that have been analyzed in those works based on defined attitudes, and then by comparing tables an attempt is done in classification of works based on common characteristics in the table. At the end, those attitudes that have affected contemporary mosques are introduced as a group of indicators. For better recognition, some examples of these groups in Iran and the other countries will be introduced. The questions that have been asked in this research are: Can attitudes be introduced in designing Iranian contemporary mosques in comparison with Islam world? What criteria can be considered for this issue? What orientation do exist in designing contemporary mosques? And what are the characteristics of each of them? At first, the research process has been formed based on quantitative variables that have had a key role in recognizing mosques as modernist mosques. These variables are volume versus space, full and empty, physical development, plan pattern, facade, the average ceiling height, decorations, form, color, position, construction location and its time and then categorizing the amounts of variables has converted them to qualitative data and make it possible to divide them to some groups based on a integrated structure that in every group part of amounts are in similarity or proportionality with each other. Therefore, three groups of tables were prepared from characteristics of mosques during research. In first group, the table introduces the status of each variable in mosques second group separates the mosques with common characteristics and the last group introduces their properties. This classification that has been obtained from investigating 50 modernist mosques can indicate shape-physical approach in typology of modernist mosques in Islam world. Based on conducted investigation, a part of contemporary mosques that a typology was done about them are mosques that are outstanding in Islamic society or have introduced the meaning of mosque in a new body from physical perspective. These mosques have been classified into four categories based on shape typology and these categories are: white modernist mosque, pure mosques, form-oriented mosques, and hybrid modernist mosques. In white modernist mosques, the volume is not important and often takes a form of project site. In pure mosques against traditional mosque building, the architect aims to create a symbolic volume. The volumes are simple and Platonic. Especially, the cubic shape that has a background in Islamic tradition is used. In form-oriented mosques, the attention to external volume is very important so that ignoring internal space is resulted. The volume of these mosques usually includes complicated and innovative forms and architectural sculpture and pure forms are not applied. Asymmetrical and simple decorations, use of color and light shadow diversity are usual in these mosques. Hybrid modernist mosques are a combination of the former types that means each of their elements follow one of types and cannot be placed in any former types. On the other hand, they are a hybrid of the former types.

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Aesthetic-Sublime conflict has been as one of the most pressing issues in the thinking that included in the manifestations of human life and the construction of temples in history. In the modern era, both the formalist and the functionalist currents of modern architecture emerged in response to the German philosopher's theory of Emmanuel Kant. Later, deconstructionist architects such as Eisenman who that stated their anomalous roots in their heuristic formula for combining the two aspect of theory. These currents of thought penetrated the Islamic world, especially the construction of mosques. Unique Islamic conceptual patterns were less discussed in the amalgamation of aesthetics and the quest for its revival in the modern age. a universality of Jamal-Jalal is recommended in the Islamic viewpoint that Islam has not claimed in previous religions and this equilibrium has taken place with the rise of Islam. This equilibrium can be traversed to either side of the spectrum in each sample as needed. In this research, the philosophical principles and architectural criteria derived from both sides and a descriptive-analytical approach was discussed to the conceptual typology of historical mosques. Finally, The models were expressed to the architecture of the historical and Islamic periods in six sections. 1-The Origin of Style Effects from Organizing (High Pure) to Artistic (Pure Beautiful) and Comprehensive viewpoint at Architectural Styles. 2- On the Jamali-Jalali side of the environmentally sensitive historical epochs, approach of cultural periods in Europe with verticalism and attention to Sublime (Egypt) to Egypt with horizontalism and the periodic classification is based on the nature (Environment) that is compared in the three categories of medieval naturalism to Renaissance naturalism (Soft modernity). 3- Sublime-Aesthetic faculties in Formalist architecture schools fall into three categories: Anatomical, space-oriented and socialist in Islamic architects of Iran. 4- Conceptual model was presented for each aspect with sensitivity to the Sublime-Aesthetic (jalal-jamal) of sensing factors. 5- Functionalism indices were investigated by three-dimensional (aesthetic, sublime and socialist) principles of Iranian architectural architecture with the principles of organizing movement in space. 6- Encoding with symbolization factors was conceptually presented as Sublime-Aesthetic attention, and the share of attention to the purely beautiful symbol in the glamorous and sublime symbols refers to the glorious dimension.  The space and body were remarkable that were effective in expressing this dual opposition in the architecture of contemporary mosques. Nowadays, contemporary architects use Aesthetic and Aesthetic appearance to represent the clergy of space in Contemporary mosques. Ultimately, authenticity is in need of socialist. It is a sublime meaning that, along with simplicity, is reminiscent of the spiritual space of the model mosque (the Prophet). Finally, two examples of mosques were laid out in a comprehensive Western and traditional pattern. The indices were based in each contemporary work on Jamal-Jalal of Islam or Western Aesthetic-Sublime. The results of the study show the evolution of the architecture in the four Iranian mosques, that Has a tendency for pure sublimity or aestheticism to the sublime aesthetic states (holistic state) and when comparison to two types of mosque (contemporary Western-style mosques) have sometimes moved toward materialistic and authentic Aesthetic and Sublime. The perceptions are superficial in the past patterns but sometime this patterns are along to values. motivations of Aestheticism have given originality to outer space and Sublimation to originality and both dimensions of history have been distorted in the non-sacred paradigm and merely reduced to charm and functionality. Whereas the holistic viewpoint has a coherent and original view of spirit and spiritual growth.