Geometric reconstruction of Amir‐Chakhmagh Square through backward‐perspective

Geometry, as the visual depiction of mathematics, has always comprised a major communicative language in architecture. Thus, geometry has traditionally been taught in architectural education to produce the perspective view of spaces from plans and elevations. This process is understood as a move from the actual to the abstract. The purpose of this paper is to show how the author has applied the geometry of perspective backwards to generate, from photos, the 3D reconstruction of a space that no longer exists.

What are the original form and the morphological evolution of Amir‐Chakhmagh Square? To address this question, the author processed photos of the square through geometric simulation. After verifying that the photos are taken from the same square, the author developed a geometrical reconstruction process to come up with the plan and elevations of the spaces, which is enough to reconstruct the 3D model. Finally, by virtue of these documents, the author analyzed the historical evolution of the square.

The main contribution of this research is recreating the architectural plans of the square, as well as introducing a simple method to extract plans and elevations from a given perspective.

The case study presented is the Amir‐Chakhmagh Square in the historic core of Yazd‐Iran. This square with an adjacent bazaar is one of the most important urban spaces of Iran, and was partially demolished in the modernizations of the 1920s. The need to renovate the remains of the square has called for new attempts to understand its original form.