THE UNITED KINGDOM’S DIALOGUE WITH IRAN THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ARCHITECTURE

It is a historical study for a critical understanding of Anglo-Iranian architectural relations during the Qajar period (19th century).

Iranian architecture in the 19th century coincided with Qajar rule (1925-1796) and was influenced by European architecture, including France, Italy, Russia and Britain. Buildings inspired by these foreign architectural styles were constructed all over Iran, and these architectural experiences gradually allowed Iran’s traditional architecture to flourish.

English architects and critics also travelled to Iran and explored the traditional architecture of Iran during this historical period. As a result, British architects designed and built many buildings in Iran based on this view of Iranian architecture of the time, such as the British Embassy in Tehran by Sir Gore Ouseley. This building, which is the first case study of this thesis, is also the first non-traditional building built in Iran in 1813. The case studies of the thesis follow the development process of Iranian and British architecture in the geography of Tehran over several decades.

VAHID FARMANI KERMANI PhD Student

vf207@kent.ac.uk

His academic activities focus mainly on historical architecture to revive forgotten architectural traditions and apply them in contemporary and sustainable architectural practises.He studied architecture and heritage conservation in Iran and England for several years and had the opportunity to train as an architect in both countries.

Vahid graduated from the Surah Institute of Higher Education in Iran in 2004 with a Bachelor’s in restoring historical buildings and monuments (architectural conservation). He studied architecture in England at South Bank University in London and received his Master’s degree (2nd part) in 2019. He is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Iranian Civil Engineering Organisation (IRCEO).

Supervisory team:

Prof.Henrik Schoenefeldt

Dr.Manolo Guerci