TEHRAN – “Sources of Architectural Form: A Critical History of Western Design Theory” by American scholar Mark Gelernter has been published in Persian.

First published in 1995, the Persian edition was published by Cheshmeh. Puyan Ruhi is the translator of the book.

“Sources of Architectural Form” provides a critical history of Western architecture theory from the ancient world to the present day. 

It focuses on design theory’s central question: how does the architect generate architectural form? Theorists necessarily tackle this fundamental question in order to explain a number of puzzling issues including the origins of the style, the persistence of tradition and the role of genius.

This book describes the major design theories in eight chronological periods, conveying their flavor with contemporary quotations. Each theory is analyzed for its strengths and weaknesses. 

Gelernter identifies an important relationship between theories of design and theories of knowledge, and so explains and analyses each period’s dominant epistemological concepts. 

Contemporary theorists of education are also examined, as many theorists from Vitruvius to Gropius included precepts for teaching as integral components of their ideas.

Gelernter is an American academic, architectural historian and writer. He was the dean of the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado, Denver. He also taught at the college.

Photo: Front cover of the Persian edition of Mark Gelernter’s book “Sources of Architectural Form”.

MMS/YAW