نوع مقاله : علمی - پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 دانش آموخته کارشناسی ارشد، گروه معماری، واحد ارومیه، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، ارومیه، ایران.
2 استادیار گروه معماری، واحد ارومیه، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، ارومیه، ایران.
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Socio-cultural transformations has accelerated, and urban centers, serving as places for contemporary human existence, necessitate spaces that are capable of furnishing a robust foundation for the enhancement of social interactions, cultural exchanges, and the development of social capital. In this context, cultural complexes emerge as multifaceted institutions spanning socio-cultural, educational, and artistic domains that play a pivotal role in the dynamism of societies. Beyond their purely functional imperatives, these spatial configurations, by offering opportunities for discourse, communal gathering, and face-to-face engagement, generate a great ground for the social relations, the establishment of local cohesion, and the enhancing a sense of belonging to place. Given the increasing significance of the quality of public spaces and their instrumental function in shaping collective behavior, delving into factors that influence the social interactions in cultural complexes seems to be so necessity. This study tried to see that which physical and environmental constituents in the architecture of cultural complexes exert the most influence on enhancing the user social interactions. Moreover, recognizing a significant research gap in this specific area especially in the city of Urmia, this study used an analytical and comparative method to not only identify the influential architectural and environmental factors but also to present practical strategies for the enhancement of the quality of cultural complex designs. Accordingly, four principal components (exterior form, interior space, environmental quality, and sociability) were systematically evaluated and compared over four cultural complexes of Urmia.
Method
The applied study used a descriptive-analytical method. The statistical population consisted of 200 faculty members and students from the architecture department of the Islamic Azad University, Urmia Branch. The entire participants had prior experience in
the selected cultural complexes of this city. A purposive sampling method was employed to select individuals deemed to have sufficient lived experience relevant to Urmia's cultural spaces. The data collection instrument was a researcher-designed questionnaire, designed based on the related literature and indicators derived from previous studies. This questionnaire had the four main components: exterior form, interior space, environmental quality, and sociability. Each component was operationalized and measured through several specific items. The face and content validity of the questionnaire were affirmed by six faculty members from the Architecture discipline. The reliability was statistically determined via Cronbach's Alpha, with a coefficient of 0.81 which shows the instrument's satisfactory robustness. Four cultural complexes of Urmia (Vahdat Hall, Quran and Etrat Cultural Center, Javan Cultural Center, and the Urmia Cultural and Artistic Complex) were chosen for investigation. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS software and interpreted through non-parametric statistical tests, including the Kruskal-Wallis test.
Results
The results of the analysis of the questionnaires showed that Exterior Form with a mean score of 3.55, exerted the most significant influence on the enhancement of social interactions within the cultural complexes. This component have such indicators as formal proportionality, legibility of the entrance, distinctive architectural elements, and visual invitation. This factor is followed by Interior Space (3.45), Sociability (3.42), and Environmental Quality (3.28). In the comparative assessment across the complexes, Vahdat Hall recorded the highest aggregate mean score over all components, while Javan Cultural Center recorded the lowest score. Moreover, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed a statistically significant difference among the four cultural complexes regarding their architectural and environmental quality. The mean values of the components, when compared inter-dimensionally, did not show a significant difference. The suitable interior furnishings, the availability of gathering spaces, physical comfort, and cohesive spatial organization were identified as the most crucial factors contributing to the enhancement of social interactions.
Discussion and Conclusion
The results showed that architectural design and environmental quality have a determining role in elevating the social interactions in cultural complexes. Among these factors, the exterior form of the buildings has the maximum impact, primarily because the initial spatial perception, visual attractiveness, identity, and architectural prominence of the structure can significantly absorb individuals to enter the spaces. Interior space, through its emphasis on comfort, spatial order, appropriate furnishings, and optimal lighting contributes the conditions for the formation of dialogue, assemblies, and social participation. The sociability of the spaces, particularly when it is achieved through the design of dwell locations, gathering spaces, visual openness, and opportunities for face-to-face interaction, seems to be another crucial factor for the emergence of social bonds. The quality of environment despite its inherent importance was ranked fourth. This means that the attention to such environmental aspects as site furnishings, landscaping/vegetation, lighting, acoustic tranquility, and spatial security has been inadequate in some complexes, the result of which has been imposing restrictions on
social interactions. The results mean that creating cultural spaces would be insufficient merely through functional construction and attracting and retaining users depend on architectural quality, human-centered design, and the coherence of physical and environmental elements. The results of this research confirm the findings of numerous studies that emphasize the influence of physical structure on human being’s social behavior. Some of the research suggest physical structure, security, diversity, and spatial affordance as prerequisites for human interaction. Moreover, the alignment of these results with contemporary architectural theoretical notions such as “spatial legibility” “spatial continuity”, and “attractiveness quality” suggests that architectural design at urban spaces play a crucial role in the reproduction of social capital and cultural cohesion. Accordingly, this study recommends the designers, planners, and urban administrators to pay particular attention to the formal, spatial, and environmental components when designing or developing cultural complexes. Focus on the quality of furnishings, remarkable entrance designs, flexible spaces, and the incorporation of cultural and semantic symbols may increase the presence of users and their interaction with these settings. Moreover, it is suggested that future research embark upon the impact of such components as natural light, color, acoustic quality, and interactive technologies on the quality of social interactions in cultural spaces.
کلیدواژهها English
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