Hamedan Mosala, Iran
Client: Islamic Waqf
Date 2006
Hamedan Mosala is a proposal for a new theological complex (equivalent to a monastery) in the city of Hamadan, Iran. The site is located on a hill in the northern east of Hamedan overlooking the city centre. The idea of the proposal is based on creating a variety of activities as part of the mosala, contained within a park to include cultural and educational facilities, sports and leisure, open air theater, nurseries, workshops for art and craft, exhibition space, motels, space for the Friday Imam, library and reading space, shop as well as a major mosque for 40,000 prayers. The proposed mosala is located on an elevated platform as the main central space on the highest point of the hill, with all main activities surrounding it, with the platform functioning as a public space. Inspired by the culture and the typography of the site, we created a terracing system to cope with the steep slope of the hill with multi-level shopping areas, connecting the lowest level of the main street with the mosala and the park on top of the hill. Open and semi enclosed courtyards were also proposed in between the spaces.
