Cultural Context

At work we are entering a design competition for a hotel in the Middle East. Even though it is sometimes a bit of post-rationalization for our design concepts, we often research information about the cultural context for a specific site. (I am actually quite interested in the influence of cultural context on Modern architecture. I only wish it was not always a post-rationalization!) Frequently this research means looking at the vernacular architecture of the region and any particularly noteworthy works of architecture based in the local culture.

This week I was asked by the team working on the project to do a little research on Islamic architecture, focusing specifically on the use of water in traditional Islamic design. I have really enjoyed traditional Islamic architecture ever since I did a research paper on Islamic gardens when I was in school at Georgia Tech, so this assignment was right up my alley. I find Islamic architecture incredibly beautiful aesthetically, especially the use of geometry, order, patterning, and color at all levels of the design. It is intricate yet simple, which is a pretty amazing thing to balance. (Unlike, say, Baroque architecture, which is intricate yet over the top!) Someday I would love to have the opportunity to visit first-hand some of the incredible traditional works of architecture in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

I really enjoyed refreshing my memory this week about Islamic architecture and gardens and looking at photographs of some pretty incredible works of architecture. After putting together a “cheat sheet” outline of concepts for the team, I decided it might be nice to write about some of what I researched on this blog. I think what I learned is a bit long for one blog post, so the next few articles will be about a specific aspect of traditional Islamic design that I find to be particularly interesting.