The Impact of Changes in Environmental Meanings on Users’ Perceptions: A Case Study of Infill Architecture in the Historic Bazaar of Tabriz

Abstract

Infill architecture in historic contexts is a concept that requires careful examination in terms of visiting users’ perceptions and environmental meanings. This is of particular importance insofar as infill architecture can facilitate the preservation of physical and non-physical heritage in historic contexts; because any interference in the historical context is closely related to environmental perception and meaning. In this respect, the Historic Bazaar of Tabriz, as a World Heritage site listed by the UNESCO World Heritage Center, requires special consideration. This study aims to investigate the status of the Historic Bazaar of Tabriz in light of the changes brought about by infill architecture. More particularly, it aims to explore visiting users’ perceptions of infill architecture and changes in the environmental meanings of the Historic Bazaar of Tabriz. Using a deductive method, we have tried to figure out whether, and how, changes in environmental meanings could affect visiting users’ perceptions of the new buildings of the historic context. In this regard, 350 closed-ended questionnaires were completed by tradespeople, customers and residents in the context. The results show that changes in the physical and non-physical components of the historic context have changed the reactive and visual aspects of environmental meanings. Also, according to the results, changes in the reactive, prescriptive, affective and judgmental aspects of environmental meanings have affected visiting users’ perceptions of infill architecture at the three levels of cognition, interpretation and valuation. This reflects the impact of changes in environmental meanings in relation to functional, historical, cultural and social factors on users’ perceptions.