A Scene for City Events

A Scene for City Events is a public memorial and performance space in the small town of Sepiddasht, Lorestan Province, that received 2nd Place in the Public Buildings category at the 23rd Memar Award with 8 points. Designed by Reza Farashi and Maziar Ghaseminia, the 84 m² structure was commissioned by the Sepiddasht Municipality as a martyrs' memorial with a very limited budget.

Rather than following the prevailing cliche of building a statue or solitary object as a memorial, the architects asked how they could make the greatest impact on the town with the minimal budget available. Their strategy was to design a stage for the performance of urban events — a highly flexible space that could assume different roles at different times, offering far greater possibilities than a single monument.

The design employs a vertical plane that spreads wide across the ground, with the upstanding portion preserving its symbolic role. Eight openings were cut into the wall, with an equal number of cypress trees planted behind each aperture. Red stone from Azarshahr was chosen so that the stage would stand out prominently within the town's fabric. The project serves as a flexible space for religious ceremonies and Taziyeh performances, a children's playground, a gathering place for townspeople, and a symbol for Sepiddasht.