Manifestation of Art in Architecture and Urban Engineering

This article analyzes the works of Armand Fernandez, focusing on his puppet collection, from the perspective of Emmanuel Levinas’s moral philosophy. Looking at the concept of “guarding the other” in Levinas’s thought, an attempt is made to explore the relationship between the puppet faces and the moral presence of the “other” in Fernandez’s works. In Levinas’ interpretation of desires, the other face is referred to as a call to responsibility, which is crystallized in the viewer’s encounter with the silence, stillness, and questioning gaze of Fernandez’s puppets. Using the method of phenomenological analysis and concepts of moral philosophy, this article shows how Fernandez’s puppets transcend the realm of mere objects and are elevated to the status of faces of the other, faces that can neither be possessed nor ignored. Meanwhile, the silence and fragility in the form and texture of the dolls call the audience to a responsibility that is rooted in Levinas's view of the relationship between me and the other.

This article, using a narrative review and descriptive analysis, investigates the concept of “transcendental beauty” and the role of ornamentation in revealing the sacred within Islamic architecture. Drawing upon philosophical, mystical, and contemporary architectural studies, the research shows that Islamic buildings go beyond physical performance and create spaces for spiritual experience, leading sensory perception toward meaning and transcendence. Sacred geometry, with its cosmic order and infinite patterns, directs the mind from multiplicity to unity and materializes Islamic cosmology. Calligraphy embodies divine revelation within built form, bridging visual delight and spiritual presence, and strategically positioned inscriptions intensify sacred experience. Color and light function as sensory and psychological media, carrying symbolic weight and calming influence that prepare the environment for meditation, prayer, and contemplation. The findings indicate that Islamic ornamentation forms an integrated semiotic and metaphysical system rather than superficial decoration, orchestrating a movement from the visible to the intelligible. Such understanding offers valuable guidance for contemporary architecture to maintain spiritual depth and transcendental beauty while integrating technological innovation in today’s sacred and cultural spaces.

This study aimed to design and validate a comprehensive questionnaire for assessing the key components of nature-friendly residential-tourism complex design based on organic architecture in Sanandaj city. The study employed an applied, quantitative, and correlational design using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The statistical population consisted of architecture and urban planning experts in Sanandaj. Based on Cohen’s table (1992) and partial least squares criteria, 404 valid questionnaires were collected. The researcher-made questionnaire included 20 indicators across four dimensions: meaningful spatial creation, environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and local cultural sustainability. Data were analyzed using Smart PLS3, and validity and reliability were confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, convergent validity (AVE), and discriminant validity (Fornell-Larcker). All path coefficients were significant (p<0.001). The most influential dimensions on nature-friendly tourism complex design were meaningful spatial creation (β=0.949, t=209.724), environmental sustainability (β=0.931, t=175.831), economic sustainability (β=0.968, t=391.515), and local cultural sustainability (β=0.929, t=147.201). The model showed high convergent validity (AVE>0.7), reliability (CR and CA>0.7), predictive relevance (Q²>0.35), and strong goodness of fit (GOF=0.670). The validated questionnaire demonstrates strong psychometric properties and can serve as a reliable tool for evaluating the effectiveness of nature-friendly tourism complex designs based on organic architecture. The results highlight the importance of integrating environmental, cultural, and economic sustainability in architectural design to enhance tourism quality and preserve local identity and natural heritage.

This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of Western and Iranian architectural strategies for overcoming the meaning crisis in contemporary housing. The meaning crisis originates from instrumental reductionism and the negation of spiritual dimensions within Western modernism. This qualitative research, using a comparative approach and an eight-criteria analytical framework, investigates four key residential case studies (including the Vanna Venturi House and the Malagueira Housing Complex from the West; and Khāneh Daroon [Inner House] and Two Houses for Two Friends from Iran). The findings reveal a fundamental divergence in the approach to meaning: Western postmodern strategies focus on critical deconstruction and secular symbolism. For example, Venturi challenges hierarchical order, and Malagueira emphasizes social regionalism, both seeking meaning within lived experience and a secular context. In contrast, contemporary Iranian architectural strategies are grounded in the quest for sacred spirituality and the principles of Islamic–Iranian wisdom. The Iranian examples demonstrate that sustainable meaning lies in spatial thresholds and affective sensory experience by reviving hierarchical thresholds (Khāneh Daroon) and emphasizing the ethics of construction and collective relationship management (Two Houses for Two Friends). Conclusion: While the West seeks meaning through negation and secular irony, Iran achieves it through revival and sacred connection. The future of architecture requires an approach that integrates the authenticity of cultural and spiritual meaning with phenomenological necessities, shifting from static manifestos toward dynamic dialogue.

This study aims to identify and analyze the physical components that shape and enhance the quality of “Third Places” in urban environments through a comparative analysis of the Tabriz Historic Bazaar and Laleh Park Shopping Mall. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research employed systematic content analysis. Relevant literature on place quality, third place theory, and international and local urban design models was reviewed and coded. Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding using MaxQDA software. A preliminary conceptual framework was developed and tested by comparing two case studies to reveal the key physical, functional, social, and perceptual dimensions of third places. The results indicate that physical factors such as human scale, spatial flexibility, accessibility, lighting and visual quality, furniture design, spatial boundaries, and perceived safety critically enhance the experience of place and foster social interaction. The Tabriz Historic Bazaar, with its cultural-historical depth and spatial complexity, promotes stronger social cohesion and sense of belonging, while the Laleh Park Shopping Mall—despite its modern amenities—shows weaker spontaneous social engagement and emotional connection. This study presents a comprehensive conceptual model demonstrating that the success of third places extends beyond physical design to include social, psychological, and cultural dimensions. The model offers an applicable tool for urban designers and planners to create vibrant, human-centered, and identity-rich public spaces.

This study aimed to examine the role of participatory governance dimensions, particularly “participation” and “managerial effectiveness and efficiency,” in predicting sustainable rural tourism development in Qalat village, Fars Province. A descriptive-analytical quantitative survey design was adopted. The statistical population included 7,286 residents and stakeholders of Qalat village, from which 367 respondents were selected using stratified random sampling based on Cochran’s formula at a 95% confidence level and a 0.05 margin of error. Data were collected using a validated and reliable researcher-designed questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.87). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 26. Pearson correlation results indicated a significant positive relationship between “participation” and sustainable rural tourism (r = 0.58, p < 0.001) and between “managerial effectiveness and efficiency” and sustainable rural tourism (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that both participation (β = 0.28, t = 4.50, p < 0.001) and managerial effectiveness and efficiency (β = 0.19, t = 3.10, p = 0.002) significantly predicted sustainable rural tourism, jointly explaining 34% of the variance (R² = 0.34). The findings highlight that strengthening genuine community participation and improving managerial effectiveness and efficiency form the foundation for achieving sustainable rural tourism. Leveraging local cultural and natural assets through participatory and efficient governance provides a robust framework for economic, social, and environmental sustainability in rural destinations.

In recent years, studies related to fashion and clothing in Iran have gone beyond the functional aspect of covering and have increasingly been considered as a domain for representing cultural and social identity. One of the key concepts that has emerged in contemporary design is “silence”; silence not as absence or void, but as a visual language. In the works of Iranian artists such as Shirin Gild, Araz Fazaili, and Mehrnoush Shah-Hosseini, silence is expressed through the choice of simple forms, neutral color palettes, and the elimination of exaggeration, serving as a tool for conveying dignity, introversion, and a connection to cultural traditions. This article, with a focus on Peirce’s semiotics, seeks to analyze the semantic dimensions of silence in the works of these artists and to demonstrate how fashion design can become a semiotic text reflecting cultural and aesthetic concepts. The research method is qualitative and descriptive–analytical, and data were collected through the study of library sources, visual documents, and the analysis of selected fashion design samples. The theoretical framework is based on Peirce’s triadic semiotics—icon (similarity), index (causal relation and contiguity), and symbol (conventional meaning). The selected works of three contemporary Iranian designers were examined using this semiotic model to reveal how silence transforms into a visual language through form, color, texture, and the omission of decorations. The findings show that silence in contemporary Iranian women’s fashion design constitutes an “active presence” that creates meaning through three pathways: iconic, indexical, and symbolic. The visual resemblance of minimal forms to calmness and introversion (iconic), the deliberate elimination of ostentatious elements as a sign of cultural resistance (indexical), and the cultural encoding of colors and materials within the context of Iranian tradition (symbolic) are the three dimensions that, in interaction, form the language of silence. Ultimately, this article demonstrates that silence is not only an aesthetic strategy but also a tool for dialogue between tradition and modernity, and even for the globalization of Iranian fashion.

The study aims to evaluate and rank the landscape architecture indicators influencing the visual quality of urban parks in Tabriz, focusing on ecological, cultural, environmental sustainability, and accessibility dimensions. This research employed a descriptive–analytical and mixed-method design. Data were collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and field observations. The statistical population consisted of users of six selected parks in Tabriz, from which a stratified random sample of 400 participants was determined using Cochran’s formula. Data were analyzed through multi-criteria decision-making models including TOPSIS and ANP. The results indicated that “ecological quality” and “cultural features” carried the highest relative weights in enhancing visual quality. El-Goli Park ranked first due to its high biodiversity, efficient resource management, and cultural–historical significance. Baghmisheh, Shams Tabrizi, and Baghlare Baghi Parks followed, showing relatively stronger performance. Eram and Khaghani Parks were ranked lowest, primarily because of weaknesses in sustainability, accessibility, and social participation. Improving visual quality and enhancing the social and environmental functions of Tabriz’s urban parks require prioritizing the diversification of native vegetation, strengthening cultural and social programs, developing sustainable energy and waste management infrastructures, and ensuring equitable accessibility, especially for people with disabilities. This approach can foster stronger urban identity, improve quality of life, and promote equal public use of green spaces.