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In a wide‐ranging interview with AD Editor Neil Spiller, architectural artist Ben Johnson charts the course of his career to date – from his formative years at art school, through his epiphany moment when architecture took its key place in his practice, and beyond. He recalls the impact of painting the work of Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, particularly the reflections caused by their use of glass, and discusses the spiritual aspects that the act of painting instills in him, along with his more recent interest in depicting the geometries of Islamic religious buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, contemporary urbanism in the global South has meant large urban transformations, tall architecture landmarks, and fierce city competition. However, cities and their planners are now confronting an ethical dilemma: how to grow and compete while caring for the disastrous impacts on Earth and human health caused by the mass extraction, processing, and consumption of resources linked to urbanization. In our article, we problematize the modern interpretation of technology, and in particular architecture and planning technologies, in society where sustainability is considered a product. By restudying the Quranic notion of the khalifa and the accidental, ecological formation of the oasis, we will argue for a postpromethean philosophy of inhabiting the Earth. We will exemplify this new ethical–technological shift by comparing planned and unplanned developments in Arabian Gulf cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to clarify the planning achievements of the three districts of Algiers by Fernand Pouillon by critically examining their characteristics as the officially advocated "Moorish architecture." Based on the conceptualization of "Moorish architecture," the three districts are examined in terms of their official resources and, Pouillon's autobiography "Mémoire d'un architecte" which contains his concrete spatial philosophy and planning policy. As for planning analysis, based on various primary data, the plan of each district is modified to create a base map, and then photographs of each part are compared and analyzed item by item. As a result of this research, we found that his planning theory was conceived based on his thought, and it was reflected to a certain extent in the realized space. The view from the slopes affronted by the Mediterranean Sea was liberating. The stone as principal building material was massive, the spatial organization of the square, the colonnade, and the market were organized on a small scale, the water and the planting were well equipped, and the human‐scale space and the diversity of the district were assured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a new precise radiocarbon chronology for the World Heritage site of Sarvestan (SW Iran). The monument is a key construction in the history of architecture because it is a typical Sasanian construction built during the late Sasanian or early Islamic period. Previous attempts to date the monument have suggested the ages ranging from the middle Sasanian (fifth century CE) to early Abbasid (ninth century CE) era. These age estimations are based on the analysis of architectural plans and techniques, and a few radiocarbon dates with very large age uncertainties. This paper presents the results of a systematic radiocarbon dating of timbers in the walls and charcoals in plaster mortars used in the main dome of the monument. It further applies wiggle matching technique and R_Combine function to substantially reduce the age uncertainties in wood sections. The results indicate that a major construction work was undertaken sometime between 658 and 683 CE, the century of the invasion of Fars by Muslim Arabs. This finding pushes back the age of Sarvestan for two centuries and suggests that the monument was built at the transitional period between Sasanian to Islamic era. Sarvestan would have been an architectural project designed and possibly initiated during the late Sasanian period but mainly accomplished during the second half of the seventh century CE. It can thus be considered a late Sasanian heritage in early Islamic period. Its construction at a time of political unrest further suggests that some areas of Fars may have benefited from certain socio‐political stabilities during the expansion of Islam into the east at mid‐ to late seventh century CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facies architecture and benthic foraminiferal biostratigraphy were interpreted to reconstruct the depositional environments of the Upper Campanian–Maastrichtian Qahlah and Simsima formations in the Faiyah Anticline Range, north‐central United Arab Emirates. Obduction of the Oman ophiolite controlled the palaeo‐configuration of the Upper Cretaceous deposits and resulted in an irregular palaeogeography which caused rapid lateral and vertical facies changes and the building up of 19 types of facies. The Qahlah Formation was deposited dominantly as an inner clastic wedge facies association containing alluvial fan, alluvial plain, and proximal shallow marine mass‐ flow deposits. The Simsima Formation is represented by deposits characteristic of variable settings, including intertidal, restricted lagoon, inner edge shallow platform, and forereef shelf that formed in the outer carbonate wedge. Towards the southwest of the Faiyah Anticline Range, the Simsima Formation exhibits distal turbidites and contains remobilized carbonate conglomerates and marl that were deposited in a foredeep environment. This lateral variation has been caused by tectonics associated with increased global sea level. A tectonically‐driven long‐time hiatus caused the absence of Danian age strata. From the sequence stratigraphic perspective, three forced sequence boundaries are reported within the Upper Campanian–Maastrichtian successions. This sequence boundaries match well with those documented from the entire Arabian Plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, Hispano-Moresque glazed tiles from Portuguese and Spanish collections were studied together and compared. This work is included in a wider study tackling the technology of Hispano-Moresque tile production from several collections in the Iberian Peninsula. While showing many similarities, differences were identified between collections, regarding both chemical and morphological characteristics. The collection from the Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha (Coimbra) stands out from the other collections, with higher SnO2 content (up to 14 wt%), the highest Fe2O3 contents in amber glazes and a Ca-rich interface layer (mostly comprised of wollastonite, CaSiO3). Samples from Palácio Nacional de Sintra (near Lisbon) and Seville-attributed samples (from the Instituto Valencia de Don Juan) are chemically similar, except that most Sintra's samples display a K-rich glaze/ceramic interface, whereas the ones from Seville exhibit both K-rich and Ca-rich inclusions. The samples attributed to Toledo show glazes with many inclusions, contrasting with the homogeneous glazes in most Hispano-Moresque tiles. From these results, we identify differences that can be used as markers in future studies on Hispano-Moresque tiles . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Temburong Bridge Project is a 30 km long dual two-lane highway crossing over the Brunei Bay. It will connect the relatively isolated Brunei district of Temburong to the other three Brunei districts. The main objective of the project is to stimulate economic growth in the Temburong region by connecting it to the country's airport and ports. The alignment crosses two navigation channels resulting in the need for two cable stayed bridges - the Brunei Channel Bridge (145 m main span) and the Eastern Channel Bridge (260 m main span). The design of these cable stayed bridges is one of the first applications of the Eurocode to a fully concrete cable stayed bridge. Both cable stayed bridges draw on strong Islamic architectural influences from the region to form a tower shape that is unique and instantly recognisable. Temburong Brücke, Brunei - Entwurf von zwei Schrägkabelbrücken Die Temburong Brücke ist eine 30 km lange Verbindung über die Brunei Bucht mit zwei Richtungsfahrbahnen mit je zwei Fahrstreifen. Sie wird den relativ isolierten Distrikt Temburong mit den anderen drei Distrikten Bruneis verbinden. Hauptanliegen des Projekts ist die Stimulierung von ökonomischem Wachstum in der Temburong Region, indem sie an den Flughafen und Seehafen des Landes angebunden wird. Die Trassierung erfordert die Überquerung zweier Schiffahrtsrouten. Dies wird mit der Anordnung zweier Schrägkabelbrücken ermöglicht, der Brunei Channel Brücke (145 m Hauptspannweite) und der Eastern Channel Brücke (260 m Hauptspannweite). Die Bemessung der beiden Brücken stellt eine der ersten Anwendungen des Eurocode auf Schrägkabelbrücken mit Betonüberbau dar. Optisch sind die beiden Brücken geprägt von der islamischen Architektur der Umgebung, die Pylonform ist ein besonderes Erkennungsmerkmal der Brücken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notions of identity, culture, tradition and history are key to understanding the contemporary architecture of Iran. Darab Diba explains how the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979 broke with an approach that for almost two centuries had directly equated modernity with Western influence. A revival of interest in Iran's own 'Iran-ness' initially manifested itself in a retrospective interest in historic styles, but has more recently shifted into a sophisticated appreciation of the essence of the country's heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three decades after their discovery, the unique long-range structure of quasicrystals still poses a perplexing puzzle. The fact that some ancient Islamic patterns share similar quasi-periodic symmetries has prompted several scientists to investigate their underlying geometry and construction methods. However, available structural models depend heavily on local rules and hence they were unable to explain the global long-range order of Islamic quasi-periodic patterns. This paper shows that ancient designers, using simple consecutive geometry, have resolved the complicated long-range principles of quasi-periodic formations. Derived from these principles, a global multi-level structural model is presented that is able to describe the global long-range translational and orientational order of quasi-periodic formations. The proposed model suggests that the position of building units, locally and globally, is defined by one framework, and not tiled based on local rules (matching, overlapping or subdividing). In this way, quasi-periodic formations can grow rapidly ad infinitum without the need for any defects or mismatches. The proposed model, which presents a novel approach to the study of quasi-periodic symmetries, will hopefully provide a deeper understanding of the structure of quasicrystals at an atomic scale, allowing scientists to achieve improved control over their composition and structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minarets are very slender structures with an old existence. The historical ones are made of cut-stone-block masonry assembled in peripheral cylindrical wall with an interior helicoidal stair supported on a central core and on the wall. They are spread throughout the Islamic world and constitute an important heritage not only of religious value, but also of great cultural interest. Throughout the times, these structures as part of a mosque, have suffered significant damage during the earthquakes. Istanbul presents interesting characteristics to evaluate their dynamic behavior, as they are in great number, in an area where a large event in the next 30 years has been predicted. In this paper, we performed a series of in situ ambient vibration tests to old minarets of various sizes and compared results of frequencies with numerical modeling of the same structures. For the low-amplitude motion, the frequency values of the first modes can be obtained from an empirical formulae function of the inertia of the cross-section and of the height of the main 'body.' Damping ratios for these amplitudes are of the order of 0.5-1.0%. Dynamic linear analyses of these structures indicate that for most cases very high stresses develop for PGA above 0.5 g, an input with a reasonable chance of occurring in the next 30 years. These high stresses are expected to cause the toppling of the minarets in the form that has been observed in the recent past events. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western society appears inordinately keen on outdated and stereotypical tropes of Islamic architecture, talking of a 'hidden world' of Islam in which women are seen and not heard as they live their lives incarcerated in the harem. This trope of Western Orientalism has become entrenched in our culture through travel accounts, the writings of historical voyeurs such as Sir Richard Burton and the romantic/erotic imagery of nineteenth-century Orientalist painters. This paper aims to dispel many of the preconceptions that are held regarding the Iranian harem and the role of women in Safavid society by addressing the status of elite Iranian women, but also placing them in the wider context and considering the evidence for lower-class women who could simply not afford to live a cloistered life. There is also the case of non-Muslim women whose religions forbade polygamy and who were therefore immediately placed outside the harem and, although Safavid Iran included significant numbers of Zoroastrians and Jews as well a handful of Hindus, this paper will concentrate on one particular religious minority; the Caucasian Christians who were such an integral part of Abbas' great project that they were awarded a particular status in the city of Isfahan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the development of the Moorish cultural landscapes of Las Alpujarras in Spain. The authors have stated that the landscape has been a reminder of the extraordinary power of relocation diffusion to transplant geographic thoughts to new lands. In addition, the landscape has been crafted by the Berbers/Moors and has foresighted that Christian conquerors made few structural changes. Moreover, the Las Alpujarras has been maintained by the government and by Spanish villagers.

The article offers information on the significance of geometry in Islamic architecture. According to the author, the whole of the modern world inherited the science of astronomy due to the great practitioners of Islam and their transmission of the knowledge of the ancients. He added that the patterns of geometry and the serpentine forms are adopted to look for the inner objective. Moreover, Islamic architecture fulfils its spiritual role by exhibiting beautiful patterns.

The article focuses on the effects of globalization of the city. According to the author, globalization opens new possibilities of employment and collaboration and creates excitement about being connected to the center. He added that Islamic architecture has hardly any explanatory power especially for the modern design practice. Moreover, the architectural reflections on globalization by vocal and influential architects run the risk of maintaining the ideological constructs.

The article focuses on the benefits of traditional architecture in the Islamic world for achieving energy-efficient, climatically interactive architecture. The author describes that this involves the effective use of landscaping. Moreover, the location and size of windows is extremely important. He emphasized that one effective approach to environment control involves considering changes in the utilization of spaces to respond to daily and seasonal microclimates.

The article discusses the meaning of Islamic architecture. According to the author, the strength of Islamic architecture has arisen not only from the intrinsic cultural values of the societies but also from the fact that Islam has adapted itself in interacting other cultures. He added that modernism as an architectural revolution have affected the lives and cultural expressions worldwide. Meanwhile, Postmodernism emerged within architecture and spread to other fields rather thinly.

The article focuses on the study of Islamic architecture as historical field. According to the author, Islamic architecture as a field of historical inquiry is hampered by its Orientalist roots. He added that Islamic architecture has been labeled inaccurate and controversial qualifiers. Moreover, Islamic architecture is reduced to a set of prevalent characterizations as being static, sensual and ornamental.

The article discusses the idea of multiplicity in relation to Islamic architecture. According to the author, multiplicity in unity is the central tenet of Islam that inspired the writings of Islamic philosophers. He added that Islam succeeded in unifying the sacred and the secular through its assimilation of the cultures and traditions of the various peoples it conquered. He emphasized that the principle of unity is fundamental to Islamic art and architecture.

This article considers four different types of symbol carriers related to the social, political, religious and leisure domains in Esfahan, Iran. A mosque, a garden and a carpet: they all symbolize paradise in the Iranian world-view. The pinnacle of this representation could be found in the city of Esfahan in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, during the reign of the Safavid king, Shah Abbas. During this period, myriad mosques and gardens were built. Today these symbols are being encountered in different ways. Although their power and value have changed, they are still pervasive. One has become laden with political meaning (the mosque) and thus belongs to the domain of symbolic politics as well as religion; the carpet symbolizes economic prosperity; and the public garden or park is in the symbolic domain of leisure and tourism. Although the mosque and the communal garden are both in the public domain and are thus public symbols, the garden, public or private, is enjoyed on a private, as well as on a family and communal level.

The article reports on the Aga Khan award for architecture, an award given every three years. The Aga Khan award was established to create a forum to examine the appropriateness of contemporary architecture of the Muslims around the world and to increase the public's awareness of Islamic culture. When choosing the winners, the jury considers the different contexts where the project evolved which includes environmental, social, economic and technical factors..

The article discusses the architectural ideas, projects, and influence of architect Hassan Fathy. He is tagged as an artist architect by various Modernists for his promotion of the conventional Islamic architecture. The author stresses that Fathy has been known for his battle against the cultural insensitivity of the Modern Movement and his resistance to the degradation of Arab architecture following the emergence of new trends in the field. Background of Fathy's works is offered.

This paper explores a theoretical gap in the study of public communication in literate, historical societies A cursory examination of the history of the various Islamic lands reveals the special position of the mosque as the center of the Moslem community and the dominant role of the Islamic pulpit in the development of socio-political issues A casual comparison of the modern mass media with the Islamic pulpit shows some similarities between them which conflict with Lerner's model. The paper concludes that systematic examination of the media of public communication from a cross-cultural-historical perspective would probably reveal significant continuities between the modes of public communication in pre-industrial and industrial societies
This paper has explored the theoretical gap in the study of public communication in literate, historical societies. Our cursory examination of the history of Islamic lands has revealed the special position of the mosque as the center of the Moslem community and the dominant role of the Islamic pulpit, or minbar, in the development of socio-political issues. It is apparent, therefore, that the minbar as a medium of public communication deserves more attention in the social sciences.
The lack of systematic research on the media of public communication prior to modern technological advances stems, in part at least, from the unfortunate fact that cross-cultural studies often deal either with a pre-literate society where historical records do not exist, or such records are simply disregarded. Because of this ignorance of the historical data, such as we observed in Lerner's model, it is widely assumed that the communication processes in traditional, pre-industrial societies, are based on primary group contacts. It is claimed that while the mass media communications process in modern societies are characterized by a heterogeneous, anonymous audience exposed to messages from few complex organizations run by professional... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the shock of the world, the mild-mannered Swiss have acted the most radically of any European country out of fear of Muslim immigrants by banning minarets. Was this a blow against tolerance, or for it? Is Islam a European religion, or is Europe a Christian club? Meanwhile, as Turkey becomes more confident in its regional power and Muslim identity it is shaking up some old friends. In this section, two of Europe's most prominent Muslim voices, the foreign minister of Sweden and a top Turkish official try to sort it out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the 1986 Aga Khan Awards for Architecture. It is stated that the awards was established to encourage building and design that would meet modern-day needs and enrich the future physical environment of the Islamic world. The third round of the Awards indicates a crisis in creativity and innovation. It is indicated that the key concept the year's Awards is adaptive reuse, directed at local craftsmen and incoming tourists.