As part of the Architecture Week 1404 programs, the first session of the “Photography and Architecture Interaction” trilogy was held on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the School of Architecture, with the collaboration of the University of Tehran Photography Students’ Association, the Architecture Studies Forum, and the University of Tehran Architecture Students’ Association. In this session, Dr. Simon Ayvazian — architect, photographer, and veteran lecturer — delivered a keynote lecture.

At the beginning of the event, Reza Soofi, photographer and photography lecturer at the University of Tehran’s College of Fine Arts, introduced his former professor and shared memories from his student years alongside him, recalling the lasting influence of Dr. Ayvazian on his professional and artistic journey. Soofi also presented an introduction to the connection between photography and architecture, emphasizing the significance of this relationship in shaping analytical and creative perspectives in both disciplines.

Following this, Dr. Ayvazian — a graduate of architecture from Paris and retired professor of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Tehran — in his lecture, underlined the importance of architectural photographers’ awareness of architectural styles and history. He stressed that without a clear understanding of the foundations and characteristics of architecture, a photographer would not be able to identify the appropriate perspective or angle for capturing an image of a building. He also highlighted the close relationship between photography and other art forms, especially architecture, and added: “Photography can play an influential role not only in documenting buildings but also in conveying meaning and the spatial narrative of architecture.”

In another part of his talk, Dr. Ayvazian described photography as a tool capable of revealing fresh angles and unseen dimensions of architectural works, drawing the viewer’s attention to lesser-seen aspects of a space or structure. He reminded the audience that through interaction between these two fields, photographers and architects can achieve valuable synergy in creating and representing architectural spaces.

Photographers: Narges Pourbadakhshan, Pargol Khaksari
Video by: Nastaran Mirzadeh