Breakthrough in architecture—Contemporary Iraqi architecture case study
- 1Department of architecture, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
Abstract
This research explores the concept of “architectural breakthrough “ as an intellectual and design phenomenon capable of transcending traditional patterns and redefining the relationship between form, function, and meaning in contemporary Iraqi architecture. This research aims to construct a clear theoretical framework that explains the mechanisms of architectural breakthrough and its role in generating innovation and strengthening spatial identity within post-2003 Iraqi contexts. The research employs a qualitative, analytical, and comparative approach, integrating field observation, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews, which were systematically analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis supported by NVivo 14 software, across three key case studies representing models of Iraqi architecture after 2003: the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers building, the Chinese schools in Iraq, and the Central Bank of Iraq building. The findings demonstrate that architectural breakthrough is not limited to form but also encompasses cultural and social dimensions, serving as a means of reproducing identity by integrating technology and modernity with local values. Based on the empirical results, the research proposes a theoretical framework that links breakthrough, innovation, and transformation as mechanisms for revitalizing Iraqi architecture within a global context.
Related
- Memory formation as selection: an eligibility-based architecture.
- Active centromeres share a conserved array-architecture signature across great ape genomes
- The Metabolic Organ Clock: A Computable Framework Linking Cell-Lineage Architecture to Emergent Organ Bioenergetics
- Perceptual repulsion and decisional attraction in male body serial dependence: a dimensional dissociation in channel architecture
- Alignment with sex-typical brain architecture: Links to mood pathology, sex hormones and transcriptomics of neurodegenerative conditions
BibTeX
@article{alassadi2026breakthrough,
title = {{Breakthrough in architecture—Contemporary Iraqi architecture case study}},
author = {Fawzia Irhayyim Al-Assadi and Osamah Abdulmunem Al-Tameemi and Aya F. Alobaidi},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0355155},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0355155},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Breakthrough in architecture—Contemporary Iraqi architecture case study
AU - Fawzia Irhayyim Al-Assadi
AU - Osamah Abdulmunem Al-Tameemi
AU - Aya F. Alobaidi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/31
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0355155
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0355155
AB - This research explores the concept of “architectural breakthrough “ as an intellectual and design phenomenon capable of transcending traditional patterns and redefining the relationship between form, function, and meaning in contemporary Iraqi architecture. This research aims to construct a clear theoretical framework that explains the mechanisms of architectural breakthrough and its role in generating innovation and strengthening spatial identity within post-2003 Iraqi contexts. The research employs a qualitative, analytical, and comparative approach, integrating field observation, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews, which were systematically analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis supported by NVivo 14 software, across three key case studies representing models of Iraqi architecture after 2003: the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers building, the Chinese schools in Iraq, and the Central Bank of Iraq building. The findings demonstrate that architectural breakthrough is not limited to form but also encompasses cultural and social dimensions, serving as a means of reproducing identity by integrating technology and modernity with local values. Based on the empirical results, the research proposes a theoretical framework that links breakthrough, innovation, and transformation as mechanisms for revitalizing Iraqi architecture within a global context.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -