International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability

International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability

Analysis of the Physical Components of Tradition and Modernism in the Identity of Diplomatic Buildings: Implications for the Sustainability of Urban Identity

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tab.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Diplomatic buildings are among the most important architectural typologies through which governments and nations represent their identity: through their physical body, form, materials and ornamentation, they project an image of the sending country’s culture, history and architectural patterns within the host country. The aim of this study is to extract the physical components of tradition and modernism and to examine the contribution of each component to the formation of identity in diplomatic buildings, together with its implications for the sustainability of urban identity. The research adopts a mixed-methods, qualitative-nested-in-quantitative design: the components were first extracted in the qualitative phase and then analyzed numerically in the quantitative phase. The statistical population comprised 384 academic specialists selected on the basis of the Krejcie–Morgan table, while the case-study buildings were chosen through a Delphi expert panel using Kendall’s W as the criterion of concordance. The results show that, within the tradition dimension, the application of proportions carries the largest factor share (1.000) and physical adaptation the smallest (0.246); within the modernism dimension, solid-and-void volumetric composition carries the largest share (1.000) and freedom from classical geometry the smallest (0.217). These findings indicate that the purposeful integration of the components of tradition and modernism in diplomatic buildings not only strengthens architectural identity but can also contribute to the continuity and sustainability of urban identity and to the symbolic quality of the urban landscape.

Graphical Abstract

Analysis of the Physical Components of Tradition and Modernism in the Identity of Diplomatic Buildings: Implications for the Sustainability of Urban Identity

Highlights

·         A mixed-methods design validates 22 physical components of tradition and modernism in Iranian diplomatic buildings.

·         Application of proportions holds the largest factor share within the tradition dimension (R² = 1.000).

·         Solid-and-void volumetric composition dominates the modernism dimension (R² = 1.000).

·         Geometric diversity shows the strongest correlation with architectural identity (r = 0.961).

·         Purposeful integration of tradition and modernism supports the sustainability of urban identity in host cities.

Keywords

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 July 2026

  • Receive Date 21 April 2026
  • Revise Date 11 June 2026
  • Accept Date 22 July 2026