Modeling and Optimization of Decision-Making in the Integration of Conceptual Art and Mosque Architecture to Enhance Cultural Interaction in Contemporary Mosques of Khorasan

Mahdi Shajie Gisoor; Ahmad  Heidari; Reza  Mirzaei

Authors

Mahdi Shajie Gisoor Ph.D. Student, Department of Architecture, Bi.C., Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3248-7672
Ahmad Heidari Department of Architecture, Bi.C., Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran Corresponding author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0341-3452
Reza Mirzaei Department of Architecture, Bi.C., Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0252-8963

Keywords:

conceptual art, layout art , mosque design, modern ideas, islamic architecture

Abstract

This study aimed to model and optimize decision-making in the integration of conceptual art and contemporary mosque architecture in order to identify the artistic and architectural factors that most effectively enhance cultural interaction in contemporary mosques of Khorasan. This applied, quantitative-dominant mixed-method study was conducted in two phases. In the qualitative-expert phase, 20 specialists in architecture, Islamic architecture, conceptual art, and cultural studies were purposively selected to refine the decision criteria. In the quantitative phase, 384 users of selected contemporary mosques in Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan were recruited through multistage sampling. Data were collected using an expert evaluation form, a researcher-developed questionnaire, and an architectural observation checklist. The measurement and structural models were assessed using partial least squares structural equation modeling, and the final decision criteria were prioritized through a multi-criteria optimization procedure integrating expert and empirical weights. The structural model explained 68.4% of the variance in cultural interaction (R² = 0.684; Q² = 0.472). Spatial coherence had the strongest direct effect on cultural interaction (β = 0.281, p < 0.001), followed by visual and perceptual quality (β = 0.257, p < 0.001), Islamic identity compatibility (β = 0.236, p < 0.001), conceptual and symbolic expression (β = 0.214, p < 0.001), functional flexibility (β = 0.194, p < 0.001), and artistic innovation (β = 0.148, p = 0.001). Islamic identity compatibility significantly predicted sense of belonging (β = 0.332, p < 0.001), spatial coherence predicted social communication (β = 0.308, p < 0.001), and functional flexibility predicted cultural participation (β = 0.319, p < 0.001). The optimization model ranked spatial coherence, Islamic identity compatibility, and visual and perceptual quality as the three highest-priority criteria. The findings indicate that conceptual art can strengthen cultural interaction in contemporary mosques when it is integrated within a spatially coherent, culturally meaningful, perceptually engaging, and functionally flexible architectural framework.

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