2026/06/16 by Mohammad Mahdi Abdollahzadeh
Arts and Humanities · Engineering · Materials Science · #Architecture and Cultural Influences #Architecture, Modernity, and Design #Quasicrystal Structures and Properties
paper · doi:10.1017/irn.2026.10167
crossref issued 2026/06/16 · crossref published 2026/06/16 · crossref published-online 2026/06/16 · openalex publication_date 2026/06/16 · crossref created 2026/06/17 · crossref deposited 2026/06/17 · openalex created_date 2026/06/18 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/18 · crossref indexed 2026/07/30
Abstract This article examines the influential yet contested legacy of Mohammad-Karim Pirnia (1920–97), arguably the most influential figure in the historiography of Iranian architecture over the past six decades. At a time when Western scholarship dominated the field, Pirnia proposed a novel stylistic framework as an alternative to dynastic periodization, identifying six culturally grounded architectural styles, including the Pārti and Esfahāni. He also formulated five principles, such as mardomvāri (human orientation) and darungarāi (inwardness), as the shared spirit of Iranian architecture throughout history. Rather than repeating familiar critiques of Pirnia’s nationalist and regionally selective narrative, this article examines his methodology, arguing that his principles often functioned as normative ideals shaped by modernist concerns rather than empirical historical analysis. Nonetheless, it acknowledges Pirnia’s contribution to the introduction of indigenous terminology and greater attention to craft and construction techniques in architectural historiography.