Evolution in the Figure-Ground Relationship of Public-Government Buildings in the First Pahlavi Period (Case Studies: The Museum of Ancient Iran and the Post Office Building, Tehran)

Hajmoradi, Nesa; Talischi, Gholamreza; Mousavi, Seyed Jalil; Zakerhaghighi, Kianoosh

doi:10.22034/ijumes.2025.2069633.1323

Evolution in the Figure-Ground Relationship of Public-Government Buildings in the First Pahlavi Period (Case Studies: The Museum of Ancient Iran and the Post Office Building, Tehran)

Document Type : Case Study

Authors

Nesa Hajmoradi ¹

Gholamreza Talischi ²

Seyed Jalil Mousavi ¹

Kianoosh Zakerhaghighi ³

¹ Department of Architecture, Ha.C., Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

³ Department of Urban Planning, ST.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/ijumes.2025.2069633.1323

Abstract

The rapid urban modernization developments during the first Pahlavi era, breaking away from historical patterns, transformed the physical appearance of Tehran in an unprecedented way. In the meantime, modern public buildings, as symbols of modernity, played a pivotal role in redefining the spatial organization of the city. One of the prominent manifestations of this transformation is the change in the figure-ground relationship of buildings with their urban context. The research method is a combined approach based on a comparative approach and a case study in three basic steps: identifying public government buildings built in a specific time period; analyzing the spatial configuration and evaluating the degree of physical-functional adaptation and the relationship of spatial structure with functional logic. This research aims to reveal the hidden logic of spatial organization of modernization projects, and provides an analytical framework for evaluating the physical-social effects of landmark buildings in historical contexts. The study was conducted using space syntax analysis methods, figure-ground analysis, and historical and field documentation of the sites, and in this regard, Depth-Map software was used to analyze the spatial configuration and impact of public buildings during the reform period. The findings and conclusions show that the construction of public and government buildings during the first Pahlavi period led to the strengthening of macro-connectivity in the urban context, and the increase in local connectivity and high connectivity, the continuation of cohesion and dynamism at the micro-scale are clearly visible.

Graphical Abstract

Evolution in the Figure-Ground Relationship of Public-Government Buildings in the First Pahlavi Period (Case Studies: The Museum of Ancient Iran and the Post Office Building, Tehran)

Highlights

The rapid urban modernization during the first Pahlavi era redefined Tehran’s physical appearance and the city’s spatial organization, with modern public buildings serving as pivotal symbols of modernity.
A key manifestation of this transformation is the shift in the figure-ground relationship between buildings and their urban context.
The study employs a combined methodology—space syntax analysis, figure-ground analysis, and historical/field documentation—implemented in three steps: identifying-era public government buildings, analyzing spatial configuration, and evaluating physical-functional adaptation.
Depth-Map software is used to analyze the spatial configuration and assess the impact of landmark public buildings on Tehran’s modernization, revealing the urban effects within the historical context.
Findings indicate that construction of public/government buildings during the first Pahlavi period strengthened macro-connectivity and elevated local and high connectivity, while maintaining micro-scale cohesion and dynamism.

Keywords

First Pahlavi period

public buildings

urban modernization

figure-ground analysis

space syntax analysis

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