• NIMA MIRZAMOHAMADI

  pardis-e kariz boom, Yazd, IRAN-2023

  42000 m²

  Commercial

  Unbuilt

 Credit :

Gold Winner of the IDA Design Award, CARAVANSERAI tourism center, 2023
Winner of the American ARCHITIZER awards, CARAVANSERAI tourism center, 2023
Winner of the special mention competition of Karizboom Recreational Tourism Center, Yazd, 140

This project is located in a site areaا of ​​34500 m2 and around the city of Yazd in Iran. Yazd is one of the oldest cities in Iran, which is located in the central desert of Iran, and it is also called the bride of the desert.

The client plans to build a multi-functional complex that will focus on tourism, recreation, wellness, and education. The intended spaces were:

-Shopping center

-Periodic exhibition

-Wellness center

-Women's Center

- Nature school

- Conference halls

- Theme park with walking and cycling path

Initially, we pay attention to Iran's traditional architecture in that context; So we started by asking some questions:

- Which buildings in Iran's past are closest to the subject of this project?

- The definition of public space among Iranian in the past and where life and even entertainment flowed in them?

- How about nightlife? What public buildings were open to nightlife?

The answer is nothing but / Caravanserai /

Caravanserais were roadside inns along major trade routes like the ancient Silk Road, that doubled as hubs for the exchange of goods, ideas, and culture.

Therefore, the design started with the inspiration of 4 porch caravanserais, the brightest type of Iranian caravanserais. In addition to being close to the subject of the project, within our new definition this pattern enables each of the porches that in the past were a place for socializing and communication, to currently also welcome social spaces, restaurants and cafes related to its lower spaces.

Other main idea intends to evoke nature, climate, and environmental conditions. The city of Yazd known as the "Bride of the Desert" is located in the central plateau of Iran; Some deserts are salty and some have beautiful hills and dunes. so the proposal tries to evoke an abstract image of hills and desert sands.

Therefore, the upper surface of the project got a shell-shaped structure that, first of all, in combination with the central courtyard in the middle, is influenced by the pattern of caravanserais with four porches, and then by softening its angles. In combination with Sand-hill construction it is influenced by the nature of the desert of Yazd.

One characteristic element of the traditional architecture of the desert is the Sunken courtyard. The proposal turns part of the central courtyard into a Sunken courtyard. A part of it is dedicated to a pond, and the other part of the sunken courtyard works as a meeting place or a theater. The combination of the water table and the adjacent waterfall provide a unique experience for visitors.

Other important elements in the architecture of caravanserais are porticoes and cells. Repetitive elements were arranged along the sides and around the courtyard. Following the same style, we completed the lower layer of the main shell, which surrounded the central courtyard and the sunken courtyard, with the same repeating porticoes.

And finally the client wanted to integrate a thematic park into the project. We considered 2 aspects when designing this park:

First, how can it mirror Yazd's own climate and desert areas and tell its story in relation to the context. And secondly, this park not only covers the entire project site, but forms the first sequence of encountering this complex and project.

Therefore, we decided to design the park in such a way so it's placed above the complex and integrates with its buildings in a way that evokes the feeling of being in the desert and desert sands.Oases are green places in the middle of the desert that usually appear around a spring or a well, so in the next step we put springs in the corners of our desert shell and placed trees and green spaces around these springs to create a narrative; to provide tangible and rich exposure to the desert. These oases create pleasant pause and rest spaces under the shade of trees for the audience. We passed the pedestrian and bicycle path around and through these oases and green spaces and building hills so they create impressive visual sequences and different spatial experiences.