ایرج اعتصام

Middle of squares, one of the components of physical aspect is considered as an appropriate indicator in designing successful urban squares, which consequently promotes visual quality. The present study aims to determine how the above mentioned aspect was presented in the Middle-Ages and Renaissance within Italian squares. Considering the aim of the investigation, library studies as well as visual documentations, with a historical-descriptive approach were applied in studying Italian community-oriented squares, Campo located in Siena, Del Campidoglio in Rome and San Marco in Venice. Results showed that, urban designers have employed some indicators, including physical aspect and its factors such as proportions, shape, surface design, materials, colors and topography in order to promote aesthetic-visual qualities, as well as human scale and unity of space to successfully design attractive middles in squares. These all, efficiently influence users’ presence, pause, movement type and trend, direction, speed and even their behavior. Accordingly, considering the mentioned aspect is of great importance in designing future squares.

Regionalism is an analytical and critical perspective which focuses on preserving special features of place and attempts to fill the vacuum in architecture. Globalization is a complex multi-stage process that causes increasing complexity of time and place, greater awareness across the global and acceleration of cross cultural interactions. Therefore, the present paper attempts to analyze global-regional interactional approach through investigating contemporary Iranian architecture in relationship with the aforementioned phenomena and also tries to provide practical advice on establishing a constructive interaction. The research methodology is based on content analysis and case study. The results obtained from investigating striking cases of 4 eras of contemporary Iranian architecture and presented as a table of global-regional interaction components (physical, semantic and ecological) show that an interactional approach is becoming increasingly popular and global-regional coexistence is being formed in contemporary Iranian architecture, which associates with spirit of time and its regional components. A dynamic presence and playing a componential role by contemporary Iranian architects in this interaction have some prerequisites: an understanding of contemporary pluralism, an understanding of the other and establishing interaction, emphasis on the role of thought, creation and innovation, objective research, a good understanding of identity and place, past recall and identifying components of Iranian architecture.

Light is one of the many wonders in the architecture Iranian houses. It is a major tool for space creation and design. An important consideration in the Iranian architecture, which takes a functional and conceptual approach to the extensive subject of light, has been that light should create a beautiful and spiritual space in addition to being functional. The light used in a house should be pleasing to the eye, and it should not be dazzling or bothersome. Optimal use of light plays a major role in creating mental peace and physical comfort and saving energy. This paper investigates different methods of exploiting natural light in the architecture of Iranian houses. For this purpose, three houses of historical interest in the city of Kashan in Iran (Boroujerdi-ha, Tabatabaei-ha, and عباسian) were studied for the position and role of natural light in them. A qualitative research method was used within an analytical-interpretative approach. First, the elements and components used to exploit natural light were studied, and then the strategies employed to manifest values, meanings, and concepts were explored within an analytical model.

By its academic-aristocratic approach at the beginning, and the mere artistic vision of art afterwards, Beaux Arts had become the cottage of hopes and dreams for art-lovers and artists from Iran and all around the world. Accordingly, Iran, like many other countries, has had consecutive associations and interactions with these schools, especially beaux-arts school, in qualitative and quantitative dimensions “Beaux-arts” school has had an extraordinary expanded character among classical educational schools in Italy and Germany and has played a positive and rooted role on art education world. What was going on continuously in E’cole for many years was nothing but a stone sinking in a pond, whose inevitable waves’ beams affected the whole pond. Art Education was the pond, Beaux Arts the stone. E’cole de Beaux-Arts set up the starting point of many artistic, educational and political events in the domain of art education. So, may we assume Beaux-Arts as the starting point and the godfather of most of Iranian art education systems? Exامینing this subject in the context of art education history can be done through various methods. Historical periods, geopolitical entities, nationalism, international network of effects, and subjects orthemes each can have a framework or composition for forming the international history of art education. This article sets to express France’s E’cole de Beaux-Arts Education historically, and tries to assess the deep qualitative and quantitative influences of the E’cole on Iran’s Art educational system, especially on architecture education, by gathering information through well-known artists and graduates of Beaux-Arts.

The 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran is considered as a turning point in the contemporary architecture of the nation. There have been apexes to the eye catching architectural improvements in the three forthcoming decades after the revolution. One of the most effective isorganizing the contests in architectural that affairs has not only removed the recession in the field but has also discarded the professional monotonicity. It may enhance the possibility of the best selections and invite the younger generation to experience the existing trends of the profession. But, the inconsistency of the competition organizers in fulfilling their commitment to either pay cash prizes or signing contracts with the winning competitors and failure in judging the designs decrease the positive effects. Exامینing the competitions throughout the three decades after the Revolution suggests that the continuity of such competitions, and revising their structure, can be considered as a suitable and useful approach in developing the contemporary architecture of Iran.