Union of Beauty with the Triad of Form, Function, and Meaning; A Phenomenological Interpretation of the Esthetic Experience of Attending Isfahan’s Khaju Bridge

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture & urban planning, Islamic Azad University, central Tehran branch, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Faculty Member, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture & urban planning, Islamic Azad University, central Tehran branch, Iran.

Abstract

Problem statement: The beauty of Iranian ancient architecture is still an essential question, which has invited numerous investigations. This requires even further contemplation in the milieu of present esthetic crisis in contemporary architecture and the associated vacancy of theory, particularly when our contemporary architecture is lacking any relevance to categorical beauty from the viewpoint of Iranian thought and architecture. Many studies inherent in the religious literature and the textual works by Islamic thinkers have attempted to deal with and explain this question. However, the only authentic sources to elicit and reveal the hidden layers of beauty are undoubtedly the remaining artistic works.
Research objectives: This study of Khaju Bridge, an authentic work remaining from the Safavid era, attempts to elicit the ontological foundations of beauty in this artwork and reveal how beauty has found its embodiment and form in the architecture of this building.
Research method: The phenomenological approach was adopted to disclose the nature of beauty and the lived experiences of four groups attending the bridge were studied under the influence of Max van Manen.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that contemporary architecture is no longer able to create beautiful and exhilarating spaces due to its lateralization towards form, function, or meaning. Indeed, architecture is beautiful when it can properly respond to the triad of form, function, and meaning. Moreover, seven components, i.e. vividness, selflessness, originality-authenticity, artistic richness, logicality, poetry, and thought-wonder, were identified as the ontological constructs of beauty in Khaju Bridge, to be used to create beautiful spaces in the process of their transformations into various structures.

Keywords


Ahmadi, B. (2008). Truth beauty. Tehran: Nashr-e Markaz.
Beardsley, M.C & Hospers, J. (2012). Aesthetics, Problems of, Aesthetics, History ofاز Encyclopaedia of philosophy. (Hanayi Kashani, M.S. trans) Tehran: Hermes.
Binaye Motlaq, S. (2010). Jayghah-e sorat dar honar-e dini [Form in Religion Art], Journal of Immortal Wisdom,(4), 33-47.
Benvidi, F. (2016). Dufrenne’s Conception of Aesthetic Object in Poetry, journal of Philosophical Investigation, 10(18),1- 20.
Blunt, W. (1966). Isfahan pearl of Persia, stein & day, Michigan: university of Michigan.
Bolkhari Ghehi, H. (2011). Falsafe-ye honar-e Islami [Philosophy of Islamic Art], Tehran: Elmi & Farhangi.-
‬ Chardin, J. (1983). Safarname -ye chardin (H. Arizi, trans.). Tehran: Negah.
Cresswell, J. W. (2015). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches (H. Danayee Fard, & A. Salehi, trans.) Tehran: Mehraban Nashr. (Original work published in 1997).
Casey, Edward S. A. (2010). Aesthetic Experience in Hans Rainer Sepp and Lester Embree (eds.), Handbook of Phenomenological Aesthetics, New York: Springer.
Dehkhoda, A. A. (2011). Dehkhoda Dictionary, Tehran: Tehran University Printing & Publishing Center.
Eshraqi, F. (1999). Esfahan: From the view point of foreign travelers‬. Isfahan, Atropat.
Falamaki, M.M. (2006). Sheklgiri-ye memari dar tajarob-e Iran va gharb [Formation of architecture in the experiences of Iran and the West], Tehran: Faza.
Falamaki, M.M. (2010). Gostare-ha-ye me’mari [Architectural areas]. Tehran: Faza.
Flandin, E.N. (2014). Voyage en Perse (A. Agahi, Trans.)Tehran: Mana.
Grutter, J. k. (2004). Asthetik der architektur (J. Pakzad, & A. Homayoun, trans). Tehran: Shahid Beheshti University.
Haeri Mazandarani, M. R. (1995). Neshasti ba Musighi va me’mari-ye iran [Meeting with Iranian Music & architecture], Journal of Art, (28), 461– 474.
Hojjat, M. (2011). Memari zarf-e zendegi [Architecture, The Container of Life], Journal of Soure Andishe, (50, 51), 204- 207.
Honarfar, L.A. (1967). Isfahan, Tehran: Ibn-e Sina.
Heidegger, M. (2013). sein und zeit. Tehran: Hermes.
Heidegger, M. (2015). Gesamtausgabe (S. Jamadi, trans.)Tehran: Hermes Publisher. (Original work published in 1927).
Hedayat, S. (1998). Isfahan nesf-e jahan [Isfahan, Half of World], Tehran: Qatre.
Iman, M.T. & Noshadi, M.R. (2011). Tahlil-e mohtavaei-ye keyfi [Qualitative content analysis], journal of Pajouhesh, 3(2), 15- 44.
Kaempher, E. (1981). Am hofe des persischen grosskonigs (Jahandari, K. trans.) Tehran: Kharazmi.
Leach, N. (2005). Rethinking Architecture, a reader in cultural theory, london & New york: Routledge.
Manen, V. (1997). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. 2nd Ed. London: The Althouse Press.
Mogensen, J E. Fisker, A M. & Poulsen, S B. (2014).Interior Textiles and the Concept of Atmospheres – A Case Study on the Architectural Potential of Textiles in Danish Hospitals Interiors (2014). Retrieved from http https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/902.
Mozayyeni, M. (2001). Mani va taebir dar memari [Meaning and interpretation in architecture], journal of Me’mar, (13), 13-15.
Mansourian, Y. (2015). Padidarshenasi-ye biroun az marz-ha-ye falsafe [Phenomenology Beyond Borders of Philosophy], Journal of Ettelaat Hekmat Va Ma’refat, 10(6), 5-11.
Mohammad Pour, A. (2013). Ravesh tahghigh-e keyfi zed-e ravesh(mantegh va tarh dar raveshshenasi-ye keyfi) [Qualitative Research Method, Anti-Method (The Logic and Framework in Qualitative Methodology)], Vol. 1. Tehran: Jame’e Shenasan.
Nadimi, H. (2007). Kelk-e doost dah maghal-e dar honar va memari [Trickster, ten articles on art and architecture]. Isfahan: Isfahan Municipality Cultural and Recreational Organization.
Norberg-Schulz, C. (2014). Architectur: presence, language, place (A. Seyyed Ahmadian, trans). Tehran: Niloofar.
Newton, E. (1964). The meaning of beauty (P. Marzban, trans). Tehran: Elmi & Farhangi.
Noqrekar, A. (2008). Bardasahti az hekmat-e Islami dar honar va memari [An Introduction to Islamic Identity in Architecture], Tehran: Tarh va Nashre Payam.
Noqrekar, A. (2015). Daramadi bar hoviyat-e Islami dar memari [an understanding of Islamic Wisdom in Art and Architecture], Tehran: Fekre No.
Nadimi, H. (2007). Kelk-e doost, dah maghal-e dar honar va memari [Ten articles on art and architecture], Isfahan: Isfahan Municipality Cultural and Entertainment Organization.
Oldmeadow, H.K. (2010). Traditionalism: Religion in the light of the perennial philosophy, (Kourang Beheshti, R. trans), Tehran: Hekmat.
Pazouki, Sh. (2014). Erfan va honar dar dore-ye modern [Mysticism and Art in the Modern] Age, Tehran: Elm.
Pallasma, J. (2009). The eyes of the skin : architecture and the senses (Quds, R. trans) Tehran: Ganj-e Honar. (Original work published in 1996).
Pallasma, J. (2016). The embodied image : imagination and imagery in architecture, (Akbari, A. trans.). Tehran: Parham-e Naqsh.
Pope, A.U. (2008). A survey of Persian art, from prehistoric times to the present (Daryabandari, N. & epal, trans.). Tehran: Elmi & Farhangi.
Qaribpour, A. (2013). The terminology of performance in architecture, journal of Honarhaye Ziba, 18(1), 57- 68.
Qayoumi Bidhendi, M. (2015). Falsaf-ey- memari [Philosophy of Architecture], Journal of Ettelaat Hekmat Va Ma’refat, (5), 5-11.
Ramin, A. (2011). Nazariy-e ha-ye falsafi va jameshenakhti dar honar [Philosophical and sociological theories in art], Tehran: Ney.
Rikhtegaran, M. R. (2009a). Honar az didghah-e martin heidegger [Art from the perspective of Martin Heidegger], Tehran: Farhangestan-e Honar.
Rikhtegaran, M. R. (2009b). Honar, zibaei, tafakkor [Art, beauty, thinking]. Tehran: Saqi.
Richards, F.C.(1964). A Persian Journey (M. Saba, trans.) Tahran: Book Translation and Publishing Company.
Seamon, D. (2013). Lived bodies, place, and phenomenology: implication for human rights and environmental justice, Journal of human rights and environment,4(2), 143-166.
Seamon, D. & K. Gil, H. (2016). Qualitative Approaches Environment–Behavior Research, Understanding Environmental and Place Experiences, Meanings, and Actions, Research Methods for Environmental Psychology,120-1167.
Seamon, D. (2017). Architecture, Place, and Phenomenology: Buildings as Lifeworlds, Atmospheres, and Environmental Wholes. final draft of a chapter for Phenomenology and Place, edited by Janet Donohoe, forthcoming 2017]. Manhattan: Kansas State University.
Spiegelberg, H. (2013). The phenomenological movement: a historical introduction. (M. Olia, tran.). Tehran: Minooye Kherad. (Original work published in 1971)
Scruton, R. (2012). Beauty (F. Farnoudfar, & A. Nasiri, trans.). Tehran: Minooye Kherad.
Stierlin, H. (1998). Ispahan: Image du paradis, (Persian by Arjmand, J. trans.) Tehran: Farzan-e Rouz.
Shirazi, M.R. (2010). Phenomenology in Praxis Learning from Pallasma’s Phenomenological Interpretation of Villa Mairea, Journal of Armanshahr, (4), 125- 133.
Thomson, I.D. (2016). Heidegger’s Aesthetics (S.M. Hoseini, trans.) Tehran: Qoqnous.
Tavernier, J.B. (1984). Voyage en Perse. ‎Jean -Baptiste Tavernier (A. Nouri, trans). Isfahan: taeed.
Taheri, R. (2010). Aesthetics in Gadamer’s hermeneutics. Tehran: Negah-e Moaser.
Von Mays, P. (2012). Take a look at the basics of architecture (from form to place) (S. Ayvazian, trans.) Tehran: Tehran University.
Vitruvius, P. (2009). De architectura (R. Fayyaz, trans) Tehran: Art University.
Young, J. (2005). Heideggar’s philosophy of art (A. Maziyar, Trans.). Tehran: Gam-e no.
Zeimaran, M. (2014). Fekr-e Falsafi dar Gostare- ye Honar [Philosophical thought in the extent of art]. Tehran: Payan.
Zumthor, Peter. (2015). Atmosphere (Akbari, A. trans.).Tehran: Parham Naghsh.