By the time this issue of Memar magazine reaches you, dear readers, it will have been two years since Soheila Beski left us. Every day, her absence was felt; we endured a difficult period. In this "cold season," her spiritual presence gave us the courage to continue her path: above all, to remain committed to professional ethics. We strove to fill her void, and to tie the commemoration and memory of Soheila Beski — in a manner that was distinctly her own — to greater work and effort. Long-time friends and readers of Memar know that in the past, Memar Nashr Institute, in addition to publishing Memar magazine and organizing the Memar Award, published books on architectural history and theory and arranged lectures in this field. Soheila Beski always welcomed the publication of genuine theoretical content, not pseudo-intellectual posturing. Continuing this path, we have decided to invite a scholar of architectural history and theory each spring to visit Iran, meet contemporary Iranian architects, and deliver lectures. The first invitee is Professor Alberto Pérez-Gómez, who will travel to Iran next spring. The publication of one of Pérez-Gómez's latest essays, "Poetic Language and Architectural Meaning," in this issue, the forthcoming publication of a translated selection of his articles as a book by year's end, and possibly organizing discussion sessions about his ideas, all aim to foster greater familiarity with Pérez-Gómez's thought so that we may benefit more from his presence in Iran. The book Mind in Architecture by Juhani Pallasmaa, Sarah Robinson, and others, to be published by mid-year, will also serve this goal. Its final chapter is "Mood and Meaning in Architecture" by Pérez-Gómez. Pérez-Gómez has sent us a short note addressed to Memar readers, which follows:
It is a great honor for me, with the generous support of Memar magazine and its colleagues, to present a number of my writings to you in Farsi. Iran's long history has had a profound influence on our collective wisdom; I have always admired its sensitivity and deep poetic understanding of the world, and I eagerly await my visit to Iran next spring.
Last year we also lost Dr. Ali Akbar Saremi, a good person and dedicated architect who was always a friend and supporter of Memar magazine. The best way to honor such beloved figures is to reflect their views and works. On this occasion, we have published an interview with him in this issue.