Explanation of Mimesis Influenced by Sadra’s Theory in the Creation of Urban Spaces and Architecture

Problem statement: 

Contemplating the formation of the design in the designer’s mind to create a sublime space is essential to provide the designers with a clear idea of how to create a desirable design aligned with human nature. The theories of Iranian polymaths have not been expressed as the philosophical theories of the West regarding the creation of space, whlie they have been proposed several centuries ago. The research attempts to answer two questions: What is the relationship between the mimesis of Sadra’s theory and the architecture and the urban design methods, and how it can be in the creation of spaces.

The current study aims to investigate the theory of Sadra as an Iranian philosopher with an emphasis on mimesis regarding reflection in the field of architecture and urban spaces. IThis research analyzes the notion of mimesis and its relationship with the spatial analogy. The goal is to explore the philosophical Iranian notions in the spaces such as the Bazaar and use them in modern design works.

The research method is comparative with content analysis, and its approach is semantics along with a case study. By categorizing data in the tables and matching notions together, the philosophical texts analyzed and accommodated spatial notions of an Iranian Bazaar. Contemporary works were compared with the Bazaar, and in the final analysis, the Bazaar was introduced as an archetype of the analogical design method.

The designer receives intuitive inspiration from the world of ideas and creates allegorical form in his imagination faculty by the mimesis. These inspirations give the limit existence of the designer of space in traditional architecture. The Iranian bazaar is a space with various functions that it has been formed through the mimesis and intuitive inspirations of the designer, which is accommodated with the analogical design method in architecture. Also, the Bazaar can be an archetype and a spatial analogical reference to the creation of desirable urban spaces. Therefore, one of Sadra’s theories can be compared to the notions of architecture and urban spaces and explored regarding the relation between mimesis and the analogical design method or spatial analogy in architecture and urban design.