Seyhoun and Iranian Architecture
Houshang Seyhoun was born in 1930 in Tehran in a very artistic family; he was always encouraged by his parents to pursue arts. Seyhoun developed a keen interest in drawing and painting. He completed his early education in Tehran and was admitted to a newly established College of Fine Arts at Tehran University. His passion for drawing and painting was channeled into design and architecture under direction of French professor Maxime Siroux. Seyhoun blossomed academically and excelled professionally in Iran. In 1946, he left for France to advance his studies in Beaux-Arts; by 1949 he completed his studies and received the "Docteur d'Art". After his return to Iran, he designed several mausoleums for Iranian notables including Omar Khayyam and Nader Shah;he also completed the main complex of Iranian National Congress. In 1962,Seyhoun was appointed Dean of School of Fine Arts and Architecture at University of Tehran; during this time he served asthe president of Iran Architecture Organization. Seyhoun has had many exhibitions around the world; he is considered to be the father of Iran’s modern architecture. In 1980, Seyhoon left Iran for Paris at the invitation of French government; he was given an honorary French citizenship in 1981. Houshang Seyhoun immigrated to Canada in 1982 where he now resides.
During an appearance as a guest lecturer in UBC, Mr. Seyhoun stressed the progress of architecture with technology. He also emphasized the importance of climatic conditions in architecture, suggesting that the architecture in Iran has been largely affected by how much light is available; therefore the building styles of the north of Iran are significantly different than that of the south. Seyhoun also stressed the importance of incorporating technology in architecture, suggesting that “if the modern technology existed during Shah Abbas’s region, the great mosque of Esfahan would have looked drastically different”. Seyhoun also defined the duty of architects in addressing human needs and maintaining a level of artistic presence. He used Iranian architecture as an example to illustrate how living spaces in most of Iran served a purpose besides looking great.
Seyhoun impressed the influence of Sassanid architecture on the students, citing Schatzi to support his claims. He suggested that the meeting of Roman architecture and Sassanid architecture led to the creation of Byzantine style of architecture. When Mr. Seyhoun was asked about “Islamic Architecture” he emphatically rejected the existence of such a concept. He argued that the proper term is “Iranian Architecture” during Islam. Seyhoun was also quick to point out that Persians created the modern structure of Islamic mosques; acknowledging that “Saed Ibn Abi Vaghas” obtained permission from Omar to construct a mosque in Kufa.Abi Vaghas requested a Persian architect named “Behrouzan” to build the first mosque in Kufa which was designed using Sassanid’s elements of architecture.
Seyhoun also described the significance of Mathematics, Poetry and Astrology in creating Khayyam’s tomb. He reasoned that the repetition of the number ten in mathematics and Khayyam’s affinity for Math made him create the tomb with ten Pillars and two oblique bulk-heads stemming from each pillar eventually creating the form of a star when they all meet. The star was meant to signify Khayyam’s abilities as an astrologer. To demonstrate Khayyam’s abilities as a poet, the tomb was decorated with verses from his books.
Mr. Seyhoun explained that he wished only to work on projects that did not involve any financial constraints so that he would be able to freely portray what he wanted as a work of art, not necessarily built to the specifications provided for him.
Seyhoun finished the lecture by proclaiming his love for his motherland and how dissatisfied he is with the direction that Iranian architecture is heading towards.