Persian Pottery Research Center

Project idea

Pottery is one of the most important elements for researching about ancient history; also, ancient Persian sites, are one of the richest sites for researchers and archeologists, which owns discovered potteries from 7 thousand years b.c; to the contemporary era. The amount of these pieces are too uncountable so that none of related departments and organizations could cover all the discoveries.
The project tries to provide enough space for the issue, and also create high-quality architectural spaces which could both answer functions and concepts of the building.

The complex includes 3 large museum galleries, a large online research hall, Potsherd Bank and Archives, Practical Research Hall, secure storage, official department, and an amphitheater. The design is inspired by the potsherds hiding among the soil, and it develops in concepts of “Attribute-oriented approach” which was presented by the architect himself. The concepts divide into two parts: Functional Concepts, and intertexts, which they both were inspired by the works of Roland Barth and the other linguists and philosophers who worked on the ideas of intertextuality and the plurality of meaning.

Project description

The design Process consists of 3 parts, Conceptual approach, Functional approach and intertextual element, which they together work like a single tissue of attributes and functions called architecture. So, there is not a single conceptual element without a particular function, or a functional element left with no design or thought. In this project every object from the exterior elements, to gallery shelves and even doorknobs are designed; and every rust and exhaustion of the materials have been studied, designed and even considered in the visualizations.
The design has considered both climatic, and cultural issues at the same time, and developed the data with concepts and ideas. The pureness of the material and the raw spirit of the concrete could remind the pureness of the pottery itself, and also early day ancient architecture of Persia.
The shadows are the ornaments, which they have been studied and designed, but the round and deep terraces around the buildings would allow them to catch full sunshine in the winter and to make full shadows in the summer, also the pools and ponds in the area would provide soft breeze in warm seasons, so this way the building could adapt itself to climatic changes with less mechanical help.

Technical information

The design Process consists of 3 parts, Conceptual approach, Functional approach and intertextual element, which they together work like a single tissue of attributes and functions called architecture. So, there is not a single conceptual element without a particular function, or a functional element left with no design or thought. In this project every object from the exterior elements, to gallery shelves and even doorknobs are designed; and every rust and exhaustion of the materials have been studied, designed and even considered in the visualizations.
The main concrete structure is considered to be the best issue, due to the location of the buildings inside, or above the hills. Gallery and archives should have extra exhaustion-resistance concrete, and the archives are located in a location in which it could be safe from natural disasters, War, or robbery.
Some gallery walls are made of translucent concrete, so it could provide little light inside but not to harm the pottery works. It also would show a solid wall in the exterior (which is considered to be one of the ideas of the design), but a light translucent exterior.
The architect believes that the shadows are both our aesthetical ornaments and climatic elements, so to provide better shadows in shape and function, the architect has modeled them in whole year situation and redesigned the buildings several times to get the best of the shadows.

Co-authors

Name: Persian Pottery Research Center
Architect: Arash G Tehrani

Design consultant: Mohammadreza Zahabi Ardakani, Dr. Siamak Panahi
Project Team: Milad Kambari (Arvisualiser), Ghazaal La’li

Location: Tehran, Iran
Year: 2013
Status: Proposal
Area: 36000 m2