Stages of Transition from Separation to Union in the Architecture of Interstitial Spaces: A Case Study of Imam Mosque, Isfahan
Subject Areas : Basic concepts in Islamic urban planning and architecture
Pegah Shirazpour
1
,
Farah Habib
2
*
,
Nasim Ashrafi
3
1 - Ph.D. Student, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Pardis Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 - Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Pardis Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Keywords: Interstitial space, union, appearance and essence, Imam Mosque of Isfahan,
Abstract :
Interstitial space in architecture serves as a realm for the transition from the material world to the spiritual domain. This study aims to explore the stages of transition from separation to union in the interstitial space of architecture, focusing specifically on the Imam Mosque of Isfahan. The interstitial space, as a third space that facilitates transition, is related to movement, direction, and destination, guiding the individual from appearance to essence. The research method is a mixed (qualitative-quantitative) approach, utilizing library studies, spatial arrangement analysis, and field research with DepthMap and SPSS software. The findings suggest that interstitial spaces create a hierarchy of movement and perception, providing a platform for spiritual proximity along a path toward a defined destination, leading to mental and emotional transformation of the user.The transition from exterior to interior in architecture is deemed as one of the most fundamental debates addressed in the present research within the context of liminality. Liminality implies an in-between and mediatory state in architecture which refers to two positions of being in-between proximity or elevation to reach the final resting destination of stability. In the architectural world liminality represents closeness to communion with the goal akin to an intuitive command and makes architecture to have levels and stages. The most significant goal of the present dissertation is proximity to truth in transition from external to internal examining its levels and orders.
Keywords: Interstitial space, union, appearance and essence, Imam Mosque of Isfahan
Introduction
Islamic architecture has always sought to create spaces that transform the sensory and spiritual experiences of users. One of the key features of this architecture is the use of interstitial spaces, which act as intermediaries between external and internal spaces, facilitating a gradual experience of movement and transition. These spaces not only have a functional role but also carry significant symbolic and conceptual meaning, altering the perception of the user toward space and architecture. Given the importance of this subject, the current study investigates the stages of transition from separation to union in the architecture of interstitial spaces, with the Imam Mosque of Isfahan selected as a rich example of Islamic architecture.
The liminal stages are defined as appearance (transmission, reception), reality (interpretation, perception) and truth (presence, transformation). The liminal experience is not confined to a mere passage from one space into another as this experience signifies a material dissociation and spiritual association. The scope of research in the theoretical framework includes the liminal space in mosques along with the related concepts reflecting and focusing on ideas by domestic as well as foreign thinkers, philosophers, mystics and scholars in order to reach a comprehensive and thorough definition of the notion of communion in Shiite mosques scrutinizing the data in the relevant texts. Moreover, the implied and semantic values in the architecture of the liminal spaces of mosques are examined to explore the relation among action, reaction, and interaction to elucidate that this process is two dimensional whose outcome is the three staged passage from detachment, elevation and attachment. This not only assists the formation of the shape of the space, but also plays an essential role in gradation, and orientation of the notions of interaction, action, and reaction. This dissertation being an interdisciplinary research including philosophy, semantic values, and qualitative terms related to the liminal space of mosques, attempts at exploring the moment of union in the selected mosques. To achieve the goal, the research utilizes the mixed qualitative, and quantitative method. After examining the specialized texts within the theoretical framework, the presented models obtained from domestic as well as foreign scholars and thinkers are introduced and based on the nature of the subjects in questions using the narrative method or content analysis or descriptive statistics with the use of SPSS and AMOS software. Afterwards the required maps to interpret the given data with Depth Map are extracted from trasure books and documents from Isfahan province’s cultural heritage organization to analyze the physical characteristics of Imam Mosques with interviews, and registering the post analysis by human.
Research Methodology
This study is applied in terms of its objectives and uses a mixed (qualitative-quantitative) method. In the qualitative section, library research is conducted to extract theoretical concepts related to interstitial space, transition, and union. In the quantitative section, field data is analyzed using spatial arrangement analysis, DepthMap, and SPSS software, as well as human trace recording. The Delphi method and Analytical Network Process (ANP) were also used for data analysis. The statistical population includes architectural experts and users of the Imam Mosque of Isfahan, and the sample size was determined using Cochran's formula.
Results
The findings of the research reveal that interstitial space in the Imam Mosque of Isfahan plays a crucial role in guiding users from the public space to more private and inward spaces. This process occurs through the hierarchy of movement, changes in spatial scale, and the interplay of light and shadow. Software analyses also indicate that the Imam Mosque has a coherent spatial pattern that focuses the sensory and spiritual experience of the users in the dome chamber.
Discussion and Conclusion
Interstitial space in architecture functions not only as a physical element but also as a platform for sensory, mental, and spiritual experiences. This research shows that interstitial spaces play a key role in guiding the user from the surface appearance to the depth of meaning. The findings suggest that interstitial space, by organizing movement and perception hierarchies, leads the user toward union and a transcendent experience. The analysis of the case study, the Imam Mosque of Isfahan, confirms that these spaces, through their physical, sensory, and symbolic interactions, not only enhance spatial understanding but also profoundly impact the experience of presence and spirituality.
The research findings imply that as an uncertain condition, liminality invites and encourages the audience in reaching a communion in architecture within the three stages of detachment, elevation, and attachment. In the first order the passage is merely from appearance to appearance; a physical movement from matter to matter horizontally and vertically which causes diversity. The next level is movement from appearance to reality; A mental passage from matter to mind in the realm of spiritual which occurs vertically and leads into excellence and progression. The final stage or level is the passage from reality to truth; A movement from mind to truth in the realm of soul representing the ascending movement from imperfection to perfection culminating into conjunction, and communion. The gradual possibility of union, the destination and elevation are embedded in the motion; A state of restlessness and desire for union which is repeated over and over from external to internal, considering the purposefulness of the transition which ultimately creates harmony and enriches the architecture.
The findings include the presentation of a quantitative model in the field of theorization and research measures are based on a parallel transformation of qualitative and quantitative data in order to inaugurate theories in the liminal zones to fill the existing theoretical gap in the function of the liminal spaces.
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