Emergence of Conceptualism in Contemporary Iranian Architecture

Abstract

Conceptualism is one of the considerable and influential aspects of the history of architecture, which plays an essential role in the contemporary architecture. In analysis of the majority of architectural works, conceptualism is discussed as an influential factor of the design process. According to the literature and the research background, conceptualism can be manifested in most of the design elements. The main question of this study is: what is the meaning of conceptualism in architecture? And, how is conceptualism manifested in Iranian architecture? To answer these questions seven works of Iranian architecture were selected through the case study method and using a combination of strategies. The selected works are introduced by both designers and architectural critiques as instances of conceptual architecture. The research results show that unity and contextualism are the most important elements of these works, after which application of geometry, conformity to the environment, inspirations of the traditional architectural elements, and use of light are taken to consideration more than the other issues in conceptual architecture of the contemporary Iran.