Culture symbol and time : the revitalization of Samarkand

Abstract

This thesis examines the dilemma of the historic city in confrontation with modernity. Citing the case of Samarkand, the investigation seeks an architectural response to the trauma of physical and cultural discontinuities provoked by the onslaught of colonialism, communism, and rapid industrialization within a traditional society. With one world view placed in the stead of another, the issue of regional identity was brought into question, and with the recent collapse of the USSR, the issue has even greater significance for the present and the future. What will be the architectural expression of tomorrow as Samarkand, more than 2,500 years old, enters the twenty-first century? This thesis develops and discusses a critical attitude towards the design of contemporary buildings within a historic and cultural context. The investigation proposes a theoretical approach towards culturally specific design by identifying and analyzing the latent concepts that generated Samarkand's paradigmatic forms throughout its history. These findings are used to guide and temper design responses to the city as a whole, to its center, the Registan Square, and to the proposed buildings immediately adjacent to the historic core. At various design scales, the discussion focuses on achieving a physical manifestation of culture, symbolism and time in architectural form. The thesis concludes with a discussion of possible applications of this inquiry to add to the body of thought on the subject of culturally specific design.