THE INFLUENCE OF THE WESTERN ARCHITECTURAL LANGUAGE ON THE ARCHITECTURE OF ISLAMIC SOCIETIES

In its general context, the language of architecture represents cultural connotations and symbols that originate from customs, traditions, cultural and spiritual values, and environmental influences, which does not prevent the continuation of its inheritance or the creation of new connotations and symbols that are consistent with the development taking place in society’s culture and modern means of technology. The Arab-Islamic civilization called for most of the values and principles advocated by Western architectural thoughts through its theories and trends, while Western architectural thought has dealt with these architectural values and principles from a material perspective only, and did not take into account the human values achieved by Islamic architecture, which dealt with architecture from a balanced perspective, because it is not just a structural formation as much as it is a social and cultural content for humans, and that is what makes Islamic architecture applicable in every time and place. We find similarities as well as differences between the theories of Western thoughts and the concepts of Islamic thoughts, and by reviewing some of the principles of the first Western architectural language schools and reviewing their  architectural models and comparing them to the architecture of Islamic societies in the ancient Islamic eras, to gain a set of similarities and differences between them, which could be the beginning of a change and a development of architecture that is based on the integration of the languages principles of Western and Islamic architecture. Western architectural language influenced and integrated with the architecture of Islamic societies through some new architectural trends such as the trend of Abstractionism or the trend of Symbolism, which are trends that try to integrate with local architecture by dealing with the building by its content, as simple forms, shapes, and plain surfaces in order to achieve modern and simple architecture. While Conceptualism  trend characterized an attempt to create dazzling iconic models in the midst of urban contexts through a new and different design concepts and  not following the traditional methods that are followed when building any mosque or Islamic center, but rather reducing the identity of the building to become a symbol of local or international architecture. Also Deconstructivism trend often creates impressive buildings, even if they are criticized, this trend is concerned with dismantling the architectural fabric of the mosque and reformulating it in forms that differ from its inherited and conventional characteristics, thus models of buildings appear with dynamic coverings and surfaces overlapping without being obligated to regular or formal design while maintaining content and function. The main goal: Trying to reach and benefit from the similarities and differences of the Western experience in a way that does not conflict with the Islamic ideological and intellectual approach, and working to develop a modern architectural language that is inspired by the Islamic architectural heritage and integrated with the Western concepts.
 
Special Issue of AEIC 2024 (Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design Session)