Practical Geometry in Applied Arts (Case Study: Geometric Proportions in the Architecture of Khan School in Shiraz)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Master's Graduate, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Art, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

This paper investigates the possible geometric proportions in the architecture of Khan School in Shiraz. The investigation is conducted at two levels: the geometric analysis of the plan and the geometric analysis of the facade. The analysis is based on the building components and spaces that have remained unchanged during the damages and repairs of the school. The detailed maps of Khan School from the 1950s serve as the basis for the analysis, although some architectural elements of the school complex have been newly surveyed and drawn.
The research methodology examines the drawing methods proposed by Abū al-Wafā Būzhjānī (940-998) in practical geometry. Consequently, the geometric features of the surveyed plans and facades are compared and evaluated based on Būzhjānī's writings on practical geometry in his books and treatises.
The results of this study demonstrate that the architecture of Khan School, both in its plans and facades, follows a checkerboard grid system. Each square in the checkerboard grid precisely corresponds to the square that encloses the outer boundaries of the main entrance's vestibule. The placement of the iwans, the octagonal pool, the western porch, and the exterior boundaries of most of the students' cells, as well as the eastern iwan of the school, also align with the Western Golden proportions. It appears that the architect of Khan School relied heavily on this ratio system, denoted as "nesbate-zat-vasatein-va-tarafeyin" or "the ratio of the middles and the sides" in Būzhjānī's treatise, to determine and design the geometric proportions of this school.

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 April 2024
  • Revise Date: 10 June 2024
  • Accept Date: 12 June 2024

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