Mashhad Railway Station

Historians of contemporary architecture, wherever they have discussed the origins of modern architecture, have cited the railway station as one of the key building types to employ new materials and construction techniques. The railway station stands as a hallmark of the beginning of the modern era.

The architecture of the city of Mashhad, given its historical background, has primarily been oriented toward the Holy Shrine and its associated religious character. However, the limited number of works belonging to the currents of contemporary architecture also merit scholarly attention. Among this collection, the railway station is one of the most notable. The Iranian Railways Administration constructed the Mashhad Railway Station between 1959 and 1967 (1338\u20131346 SH) under the supervision of Engineer Gholamreza Kobari.

Interior view showing the steel truss roof structure of the main hall

Contrast of Light and Shadow, Contrast of Vertical and Horizontal

The rectangular plan, the facade with orderly classical columns and a curved roof, creates a beautiful ensemble that provides a welcoming space for the comfort of every anxious traveler. The mass of the building is composed of two distinct volumes. The main passenger hall, with its arched ceiling and curved roof, has attached to its side a separate temple-like volume. This volume houses administrative offices on the upper floor, while the entrance level contains administrative spaces, a bank, and retail booths. The ground floor and basement accommodate services and mechanical systems.

Amid a section of these white stone columns, where they connect directly with the administrative space behind, movable aluminum panels serve as adjustable sun shades, controlling the angle of incident sunlight. These panels, when open from top to bottom in their small segments along the length of the building, rest on columns spaced far apart, creating a strong visual rhythm. The overall composition of the space, whether among the elements of the white stone columns set against a dark background or atop the curved roofline and its shadows, evokes memories of celebrated buildings from the history of contemporary architecture after the Second World War in Europe.

The overall composition of the space, whether in the interplay of its elements or in its formal design, demonstrates a thoughtful approach to the selection of reinforced concrete as the primary material, which has enabled a composition befitting and reminiscent of the distinguished works of the modern period. This is architecture composed of specific moods and gestures: an architecture of varied and deliberate spatial effects. The rectangular plan with its potential for a distinctive profile, the covered colonnade visible from the city square as a public facade, restaurants and administrative spaces \u2014 all contribute to a building that, in terms of scale, urban presence, and management, represents a remarkable example of modern Iranian architecture of its era.