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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In the history of architecture, since the architects sought to enter the light inside and as a result, its relationship with external conditions, the concept of transparency has been studied. Therefore, elements such as glass have been used to create transparency and entering the light. But because of lack of technical knowledge to achieve that goal, the less successes have been achieved. By the beginning of Modern architecture in the world, some new words come into the literature of architecture such as the theory of transparency in architecture. Actually transparency is an expression of the thoughts and ideals of Modern architecture in the shape of own self.
 On the other hand, deployment of transparency in the form of glassy architecture, created the base of criticism for its widespread use by critics of modernism. Colin Rowe and Robert Slutsky in the article “The Literal and the phenomenal transparency” presented an integral definition of transparency that could help Postmodern view about transparency. At the first, they classify the Literal transparency as the perceptual or spectacular one, and phenomenal transparency as the conceptual or readable one. Literal transparency actually refers to light permeability of materials and Interference indoor and outdoor spaces. A concept that could be considered as influenced by cubist painting techniques and aesthetics of Modern architecture.
The other statement of transparency, which is often used in the architecture of most of the world, is traction and appeal to create a sequence of spaces inside and outside the building. Which we can see the appearance of a perfect sample of it in Iranian architecture. In Iranian Islamic architecture that the valuable and exalted heritage of our ancients was the concepts of light and its different forms of that in wisdom, philosophy and art, not only before Islam but also after that.
The question is that how was transparency in Iranian Islamic architecture and what are conceptual differences between modern and postmodern architecture with Iranian Islamic architectural transparency. Transparency is among most important architectural issues that are rarely addressed. This importance is because of the comparison of some viewpoints about concept of transparency in the eras of Modern, Post-modern architecture and Iranian Islamic architecture to achieving principles of the formation of the concept and its types with aim to precise definition of structural concepts of objective and subjective.
The Article based on analyzing texts and collected data through librarian search and some documentaries. To narrow the scope of work, the evolution of transparency in the modern and post-modern movement. At first express types of transparency in modern architecture, postmodern and Iran›s Islamic architecture then study Comparative Comparison them and finally, explain and evaluate the transparency of Iran›s Islamic architecture.
This article expresses some kinds of transparency and divides it to Three Categories: Literal transparency, Phenomenal transparency and Semantic transparency and then analyses the philosophical and aesthetic based on architecture of modern, postmodern and Iranian Islamic architects. In this paper, we try to describe the features of transparency by considering of this parameter in modern architecture. After all, transparency in Iranian Islamic architecture is based on the concepts explained. With this method, the use of transparency in each of these eras has been explained and then used in a timeline, and finally examined the evolution of this application.
About achievement of this study to previous examples can be cited to this point what›s that Spatial transparency in the evolution of Iranian architecture introduced by Hadi Mirmiran, which means increased space and reduced material is on properties of Literal transparency more and based on the theory of modernism and is similar to Bruno Zevi,s view.
While results of this study, in addition to the above, in Iranian Islamic architecture, phenomenal transparency and semantic transparency are more and existence of major mental clarity (not objective). In the Iranian Islamic architecture and contrary to the last ones, we can give a hint, that the explanation of Iranian architecture with the modern architecture’s language instead of its Islamic and Iranian language is so wrong. Actually we ignore and connive at some parameters by this viewing. In fact, with dealing like visual material these concepts, a lot of deep cultural concepts in Islamic architecture will be ignored.