A Study of the Architecture of Nader Ardalan in Terms of Tradition And
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A Study of the Architecture of Nader Ardalan in Terms of Tradition and Modernity in the Islamic Context Hamid Aghaei Rad Master of Architecture A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Built Environment Aug. 2015 i ORIGINALITY STATEMENT I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.” Signed: Date: COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ……………………………………………........................... AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ……………………………………………........................... ii ABSTRACT This study is focussed on Nader Ardalan’s scholarly and design work in the light of discussions on tradition and modernity in Iranian architecture. It undertakes an analysis of Ardalan’s approach to the debates on tradition and modernity in architecture and examines the relationship between Ardalan’s understanding of traditional Iranian Islamic architecture and his contemporary projects. In Chapter 1 this study explains Ardalan’s understanding of traditional Iranian Islamic architecture through an analysis of Ardalan and Bakhtiar’s The Sense of Unity (1973). This book is well known among Islamic architectural researchers because it presents a rare insight into traditional Islamic architecture in comparison with conventional historical studies. In Chapter 2, this study analyses the relationship between The Sense of Unity and Ardalan’s projects. For this purpose, specific projects from different periods of Ardalan’s professional career are examined individually and in relationship with each other. In Chapter 4, from a broader perspective, this study analyses Ardalan’s approach to the debates on tradition and modernity by exploring the differences between Ardalan’s understanding of traditional Iranian Islamic architecture and the conventional understanding of significant Iranian scholars. Then, from an external perspective, this study examines the alignment between Ardalan’s architectural attitude and the concept of the contemporary redefined by Giorgio Agamben, by exploring the differences between the design principles in Ardalan’s projects and a few outstanding projects of his time in relation to the debates on tradition and modernity in architecture. This thesis demonstrates (1) Ardalan’s projects after the publication of The Sense of Unity are inspired by his understanding of traditional Iranian Islamic architecture, which is based on Gnosticism. In fact, from the perspective of the debates on tradition and modernity, The Sense of Unity provided a theoretical foundation for Ardalan’s architecture. (2) This thesis highlights that the understanding of Ardalan by Iranian architectural historians is irrelevant, since it assesses Ardalan’s projects without considering The Sense of Unity. (3) This study shows that Ardalan’s projects can be nominated as contemporary Islamic architecture based on Agamben’s concept of the contemporary. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ x INTRODUCTORY STUDY ........................................................................................... 1 Aims and Methodology ................................................................................................. 1 Background ................................................................................................................... 2 Case Study ..................................................................................................................... 4 Previous Studies in the Field ......................................................................................... 5 Thesis Overview ............................................................................................................ 6 Chapter 1 ................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 4 ................................................................................................................. 10 A Short Biography of Ardalan .................................................................................... 11 The Role of Biography ............................................................................................ 11 Who is Ardalan? ...................................................................................................... 11 Early Life: Modern Context and Traditional Interests ............................................ 12 Internal Conflict ...................................................................................................... 13 Ardalan as a Scholar ............................................................................................... 14 Contribution to Scholarship .................................................................................... 15 Ardalan as an Architect ........................................................................................... 16 Significant Stages in Ardalan’s Life ....................................................................... 19 PART ONE: UNDERSTANDING ARDALAN.......................................................... 21 CHAPTER 1: ARDALAN AS A SCHOLAR AND HIS BOOK THE SENSE OF UNITY ...................................................................................................................... 21 1.1 Importance of The Sense of Unity ......................................................................... 21 1.2 Internal View ......................................................................................................... 24 1.2.1 The Morphology of Concepts ........................................................................ 24 The Relationship Between Man and the Divine ................................................. 24 The Relationship Between Art and the Divine ................................................... 29 The Relationship Between Man and Art ............................................................. 32 1.2.2 The Concept of Architectural Elements ......................................................... 34 Space and Unclear Assumptions ......................................................................... 35 Sense of Place and its Roots ............................................................................... 37 Integration of Time and Form in Space .............................................................. 40 Shape and Symbols of Unity ............................................................................... 41 From Light in Philosophy to Colour in Architecture .......................................... 46 1.2.3 Levels of Realisation ...................................................................................... 50 Traditional Ordering Systems ............................................................................. 50 1.3 Broader Field ......................................................................................................... 55 1.3.1 Other Studies .................................................................................................. 55 1.3.2 Sources ........................................................................................................... 59 1.4 Conclusion............................................................................................................