Statement of the problem: One of the fundamental questions in the field of architectural history and theory is how to draw the future of architecture and contemporary architectural criticism. In this regard, the present study examines the architecture of contemporary Iranian monuments during the years 1978 to 1991 with the approach of contemporary criticism and models of the theory of outstanding architecture.
Research objective: The main objective is to analyze the discourse of “authenticity” and “technology” in monuments, emphasizing the role of these two factors in shaping architectural innovation. The study attempts to explain the theoretical and semantic capacities and the link between authenticity and technology in the innovative horizons of architectural design.
Research method: This study used a mixed exploratory approach (one qualitative stage and two quantitative stages). The qualitative part examined the data using documentary methods and content analysis of the discourse of outstanding architecture, analyzed 17 monuments, and identified the main themes. In the quantitative part, first, a questionnaire with 8 items was created and its validity and reliability were measured with correlation and expert approval. Then, by surveying and analyzing the data with the Friedman test, 8 landmark monuments were ranked by experts in the field to achieve a link between qualitative and quantitative findings to understand the concept of innovation in contemporary Iranian architecture.
Conclusion: The findings show that "technology" plays a vital role in architectural innovation alongside "originality". Originality includes shape, form, structural principles, and relationship with the environment, and technology includes materials and construction techniques. Finally, the tomb of Avicenna had the highest level of contemporaneity, followed by the tombs of Khayyam, Hafez, Kamal al-Molk, Nader Shah Afshar, Ferdowsi, Saadi, and Baba Taher, in order.