The subject of the project was the design of a martyrs' memorial with a very limited budget in the small town of Sepiddasht. The designated site had been situated in the old fabric of the town and had served as the town's cemetery for many years. The site's location was such that it occupied an opening in the urban fabric along the town's main axis.
The prevailing typology of memorial structures in both small and large cities across Iran takes the form of an object or statue — one that serves merely as a monument in the city — and the client's initial request, too, was the design of a memorial element for the martyrs.
Site plan of Sepiddasht — the project site (marked in red) occupies an opening in the urban fabric along the town's main axis
◆ ◆ ◆
Beyond the Statue
Our question from the outset was: how can we, with the minimal budget and program allocated for the project's design and construction, make the greatest possible impact on the town?
In response, our strategy was to move beyond the cliche of building a statue or a solitary object as a memorial. We decided instead to create a stage for the performance of urban events — a space of high adaptability for the town that could assume different roles at different times — offering, in other words, far greater possibilities than a single statue could provide.
Design process — from the existing site with graves to a red stone stage with vertical wall, cypress trees, and integrated grave markers
◆ ◆ ◆
The Red Stone Stage
We employed a vertical plane that spreads wide across the ground, so that the upstanding portion of the plane preserves its symbolic role. To intensify this quality, we cut eight openings into it and planted an equal number of cypress trees behind each aperture.
We used red stone from Azarshahr so that this "stage" would stand out prominently within the town's fabric. Meanwhile, the expanded, ground-hugging portion of the plane serves as a space for the performance of urban events. At the same time, we brought the locations of the existing graves onto this stage, and for each opening on the vertical body, we placed a black box along the edge.
Aerial view — the red stone platform stands out as a bold intervention in the fabric of Sepiddasht
The vertical wall with eight openings and cypress trees — the symbolic face of the memorialCypress trees visible through the openings in the red Azarshahr stone
Overhead view — the plane curves from vertical wall to ground-hugging stage, with black grave markers embedded in the surface
◆ ◆ ◆
A Space of Many Roles
By activating the project as a flexible space — for the performance of religious and ritual ceremonies such as Taziyeh, as a playground for children, as a gathering place for the townspeople, as a venue for the residents' consultations, and simultaneously as a symbol and marker for Sepiddasht — we added new possibilities to it as a public space.
Usage scenarios — the platform adapts to serve as a stage for Taziyeh, a gathering place, a playground, and a marketIsometric view of an urban event — the platform extends its role into the town's surrounding streets and alleys
Children playing on the platform — the memorial becomes a playgroundThe platform as playground — new possibilities for Sepiddasht's youth
◆ ◆ ◆
Activating the Town
During various urban events, the different levels around this stage — the rooftops of surrounding buildings, terraces and balconies, streets and alleys, and even the surfaces inside adjacent shops — become activated as positions and vantage points for spectating, and this plane extends its role throughout the town.
A Taziyeh performance on the stage — children watch from the edge as the platform comes alive at duskAerial view at dusk — surrounding rooftops, terraces, and streets become vantage points during a performance
Aerial view of a Taziyeh ceremony — the platform as ritual spaceThe platform fills the opening in Sepiddasht's urban fabric
Section through the urban context — the red platform and vertical wall engage with the streets, shops, and daily life of SepiddashtTechnical drawings — plan, front elevation, and side elevation of the red stone wall
