The Hezar-Too installation revisits Traditional Iranian Architecture
Commissioned by Mashhad municipality after the renewal of Lale Park in 2022, Hezar-Too by Ehsani Sharafeh Associates is located at the main entrance of the park from Hafte-Tir Square. Conceived as one interactive urban installationthe project was designed to encourage public engagement with the renewed landscape through movement, exploration and spatial interaction.
The installation reinterprets the circulation patterns found in traditional Iranian architecture through the concept of the “Syntactic Hezar-Too”. Referring to spatial sequences common to Islamic Iranian domestic architecture, the project explores how interconnected interior the spaces create multi-layered experiences of movement and discovery. Rather than functioning as a static object, the structure functions as a floating environment composed of compressed pathways and interconnected chambers.
The installation is formed by a cellular arrangement of eight extruded octagons and four square volumes. At the center of each octagonal unit, revolving doors shape circulation and require visitors to physically engage with the structure to move through it. This interaction recalls the sequential transitions found in traditional Iranian residential architecture, where the movement between spaces gradually unfolds through layers of thresholds.
all images courtesy of Ehsani Sharafeh Associates
Color, reflection and circulation shape the spatial experience
For Ehsani Sharafeh Associates’ groupcolor also plays a central role in spatial experience. Inspired by stained glass windows found in historic Iranian houses, each modular section incorporates a distinct shade through transparent acrylic panels. Changing color conditions differentiate the spaces and change the atmosphere throughout the maze-like arrangement.
Mirrored ceilings further intensify the perception of space by reflecting and fragmenting traffic routes. These reflective surfaces partially obscure the paths and create visual ambiguities that reinforce the labyrinthine character of the installation. The project combines prefabricated metal modules with safety glass, colored acrylic panels and mirror surfaces. The revolving doors and structural elements were manufactured and calibrated off-site before being assembled within the park.
By introducing a dense traffic system into the open scale of the urban square, Hezar-Too introduces a participatory spatial experience shaped by movement, color, reflection and interaction. The installation connects references from traditional Iranian architecture with a contemporary public setting, turning traffic itself into the central architectural element.
interactive urban installation placed at the entrance of Lale Park
Hezar-Too is designed as a floating public environment
interconnected chambers that create multi-layered sequences of movements
