D -Arch

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY:
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D-Arch 19, “Taq-e Damavand,” is conceived as an architectural response to memory, loss, and the enduring aspiration for freedom. The project commemorates tens of thousands of lives lost during a national uprising across more than four hundred cities and villages in Iran in January 2026. It is not only a memorial, but a spatial narrative that transforms collective grief into a lasting cultural and architectural presence.

At the heart of the project lies Mount Damavand, the highest peak in Iran, positioned as the primary visual anchor of the entire composition. In Persian mythology, Damavand is the place where Zahhak, the embodiment of tyranny and evil, is bound by Fereydun, the symbol of justice. This reference establishes Damavand as a timeless marker of resistance against oppression. The dormant volcanic nature of the mountain further reinforces this duality, silent yet powerful, calm yet latent, echoing the suppressed energy of a society striving for freedom.

The central monument is conceived as a modern reinterpretation of Iranian architectural principles, distilled into a minimal yet expressive form. Its perforated surface, marked by scattered openings of varying scales, symbolizes the violence inflicted upon the people. However, these voids are not merely scars; they become channels of light. Light emerges through absence, transforming loss into illumination and death into a continuum of presence. In this way, the architecture resists closure and instead invites reflection, continuity, and hope.

The conceptual origin of the form can be understood as a “rolled plane,” a simple geometric gesture that frames a singular and powerful view toward Damavand. This act of framing is both literal and symbolic: it directs the gaze, focuses memory, and anchors the visitor within a shared narrative. The large central opening represents an irreplaceable void, the absence left by those who are gone, while simultaneously creating a space for collective contemplation.

The project is structured upon the foundational principles of Iranian architecture, reinterpreted through a contemporary language. Geometry, order, hierarchy, and the integration of landscape are essential in shaping the spatial experience. The surrounding grid and garden system extend the memorial into a broader field, where each fragment contributes to a unified whole, much like the collective identity it represents.

Ultimately, D-Arch 19, “Taq-e Damavand,” is not designed as a static object, but as a living environment of memory. It stands between past and future, silence and expression, absence and presence. Through light, landscape, and form, the project seeks to embody dignity, resilience, and the enduring hope for a free Iran.