Farahzad Eco-Park
- Project: Farahzad Eco-Park
- Subject: Urban Regeneration of Farahzad River-Valley in Punak District
- Design Team: Farzan Shamasblou, Alale Sarabadani
- Rendering: Mohammad Akbari
- Project Type: Urban Regeneration / Landscape Design
- Area: ~275000 m²
- Client: Urban Renewal Organization of Tehran
- Location: Tehran, IRAN.
- Status: Competition Proposal - Honorable Mention
- Design Year: 2019
Project Statement
The present design, defined within a unique context, seeks to address the dual nature of the project’s core issues. Initially, by separating the environmental context from the project’s content, field observation and a preliminary review of upstream plans were conducted to understand the environmental setting of the Farahzad river valley. Subsequently, the competition’s objectives were reframed into a question: how to “construct” in a context that necessitates “non-construction.” This became the key question of the project, shaping the final design as a theoretical response to this dilemma.
Context: The recent catastrophic floods in the country have underscored the critical need for environmentally conscious urban planning and thoughtful intervention in natural settings such as river valleys. A review of upstream plans reveals a consensus among consulting engineers on preserving the ecological context and minimizing interventions. This perspective, encapsulated in the concept of “non-construction”, could challenge the project’s goals, significantly influencing the design process, as detailed in the content section.
Content: The vision statement and competition objectives emphasize the spiritual role of the shrine of Imamzadeh Einali and Zeinali in creating a place-specific identity rooted in “connection.” This connection can be perceived from various perspectives, as “meaning” itself is a construct. The proposed relationships -social, cultural, religious, and physical – are all inherently constructive (in the sense of poesis), contrasting with the natural realm. The coexistence of elements such as “identity,” “spirituality,” “social connection,” and “the sacred” often leads to hermeneutical phenomenology in the theoretical and research literature on space. While the designers critique such a phenomenological approach in the context of contemporary Tehran, the relative untouched nature of the project site and the coexistence of its unique elements create a strong linkage with the aforementioned approach.
Concept: Based on the above introduction and the contextual elements of the intervention area, the site is divided into six functional parts organized within a connective network under four cognitive zones, three design approaches, and two conceptual scales: center and periphery. Below is a brief outline of the proposed structural program for each of the four cognitive zones and their subdivisions.
Drawings and Diagrams
Cognitive Zones
Zone A: This area encompasses the general space of the river valley, excluding other three zones. With minimal intervention, it is designed to enhance accessibility and guide visitors toward Zone B. Design elements include functional nodes with permissible recreational uses outside the absolute river boundaries, preserving existing vegetation, and creating narrow pathways to connect adjacent public spaces and access the project’s central area. These elements are represented schematically through four diagrams. Minimal intervention is emphasized in the northwest area, preserving the existing grove and providing access from Pounak Boulevard, while the highest level of intervention is proposed in the southwest area to enhance permeability from this direction.
Zone B: This zone includes the central space of the river valley in connection with the shrine’s area, occupying approximately 10% of the intervention space. The location and dimensions of the proposed zone are determined by several environmental factors, including proximity to the shrine, equidistant positioning from northern and southern faults on a macro scale, widening of the river valley, and the reduced slope of the eastern bank to accommodate activity spaces. A 500-meter access radius encompasses the entire area. The project’s main concept in this zone arises from the interplay of three structural elements: The “Event Space” on the eastern side, the intermediate area on the western side, and the connecting bridge.
The intermediate Space (Direct Connection Between the Shrine and the Western Slope): This space is situated on the western slope, serving as a functional mediator between the shrine and the river valley. It acts as a shared domain between the natural and built environments, intersecting the vertical, hierarchical structure of the shrine with the horizontal, rhizomatic nature of the surrounding landscape. These characteristics create a hybrid space that is simultaneously rigid and fluid, static and dynamic. Its orientation is defined by the intersection of the primary axes of the shrine with the topographic contour lines of the river valley.
Event Space (Gathering Space on the Eastern Slope): Located on the eastern side of the river valley, this space functions as an open-air amphitheater. It is designed as a place for pause and gathering, concentrating pedestrian activity. Based on analyses, it is positioned on the gently sloping area of the eastern bank, approximately 60 meters from the river. This space guides visitors from the public areas on the eastern edge toward the shrine.
The Bridge: The designed bridge in the central space is not merely a functional tool but a symbolic object. The bridge itself is a metaphor for connection. Beyond linking the event space on the eastern slope with the intermediate space on the western slope, it serves as a unifying element. It offers a contemporary interpretation of Heidegger’s metaphorical bridge, reimagined to suit the challenges of the present era. The bridge incorporates three movement axes, all of which converge in the “central” space.
Zone C: (Adjacent Lands to the North, South, and West of the Shrine): Intervention in these lands is deprioritized due to the direct connection of the shrine’s eastern edge with the river valley. Additionally, existing constructions – including residential areas, government buildings, and private gardens -complicate the design process, as many relevant details are not provided in the competition brief. However, these spaces have potential to enhance access, spatial quality, and cohesion between the shrine, the river valley, and the local context of Pounak neighborhood. Consequently, the proposed plan for this area is presented as a conceptual alternative for reconsideration.
Zone D: (Riverbed and Highway Embankment): This zone is addressed with a reconsideration approach aimed at controlling the existing conditions, focusing on the river path and the northern embankment.