An Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Consumerism on the Transformation of the Interior Architecture of Contemporary Iranian Housing

Problem statement: Due to its interdisciplinary nature, architecture can both influence and be influenced by many other disciplines, of which the economy is one of the most important. Capitalism, which has been the dominant economic system in the West during the recent century, has led to the emergence of various issues in the area of architecture, not only in western countries but also in many other countries such as Iran. One of these issues is the emergence of consumerism and the subsequent transformation in the formation of residential space in Iran, especially the kitchen, and, subsequently, the change in the type of relationship between the kitchen and other spaces in the house. In this regard, the main question is how Western consumerism led to the transformation and development of the Iranian lifestyle and the interior architecture of their residential spaces.Research The present study aims to analyze the architectural developments of the Iranian residential spaces and find the causes of these developments regarding the transformations made in people’s lifestyles derived from the emergence of consumerism in the contemporary era.Research The library method was used for data collection and qualitative content analysis was used for the data analysis. Based on the findings, two important measures that led to the emergence of consumerism in the interior space of Iranian housing in the Pahlavi Era were first, the establishment of the “television station” and the broadcast of American advertisements and programs and second, the establishment of the “home economics department” to increase the effectiveness on the lifestyle of the Iranian women and girls as the most effective group in the Iranian society’s lifestyle. Both of the above actions were done with the foreigners’ plots, evidence of which has been provided in the present study.