Folding and Unfolding Space

He writes, "Architecture has been dealing with rationalization of space exclusively. Smooth space is qualitatively different from gridded space; "air against earth". Modern (rational) space is gridded: movement in it is confined by x, y, z axes forming the Cartesian grid. Smooth space is open ended; it enables us to move freely, it is architecture as space of inclusion." Mr Shirdel will present a body of work from 1986-2007 that illustrates the topic of his lecture. Bahram Shirdel is among the architect- theoreticians who accept topology as a cultural & scientific resource. Accordingly these new architectures are understood and practiced as being the result of processes of continuous nonlinear transformation. Thus Architecture becomes the capacity to give to an inter- connected series of factors (form, technology, program, cultural context, purchases, market and utilization) in the way of a global architectural practice resulting in a new practice of urbanism. This architecture with its strategies is capable of complex deformation and has the capacity for change in response to heterogeneous and differentiated context. In other words this practice is a search for an alternative way of responding to the complexity of a contemporaneous world. Shirdel & Partners architects established office in Tehran in 1997, after practicing in London as Shirdel & Kipnis Architects and practicing as Aks-Runo in Los Angeles. During these years this practice designed projects in the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, and Brazil and worldwide; where the firm applied its research and theory to the spatial organization of large scale and complex projects.

Professor Bahram Shirdel has been the director of Graduate Design program at the Architectural Association School of architecture, London, and has taught design and theory at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard university, university of Houston, Texas, Georgia Institute of Technology, university Chicago, university of Miami, Ohio state university and Southern California Institute of Architecture. Bahram Shirdel was a recipient of Christopher Wren Medal from Canada and CGA Gold Medal city planning from China. His work has been widely exhibited worldwide; Venice Biennale for architecture 1984 and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1992.

Admission is free for members and AED 100 for non members and the general public