In the context of the Sadeghiyeh metro station, one of Tehran's oldest and busiest transport hubs, CAAT studio transforms a forgotten urban space around the entrance terminal into a lively public plaza.
With transport exchange facilities, the area remains bustling and acts as a focal point where visitors and residents pause and socialize. However, the space lacked organization and faced issues and disruptions, like misuse of pedestrian sidewalks, inconvenience caused to visitors due to crowding, visual and noise pollution caused by parking, and lack of a designated space for social events.
To address these issues, the project involves organizing the various uses of the plaza in a uniform way (a suitable location for vendors, a space for social interactions and events, and a green landscape to enjoy); establishing a convenient location for taxi pickup and drop-off to prevent overlapping between vehicles and pedestrians paths; designing a separate access route for metro passengers;
The architects discovered the solution by examining the intersection of vehicular routes, metro passenger traffic, and the north street, where the location served as the focal point for a ripple effect. These cohesive lines formed the basis for all of the activities and events.
The boundary of the main courtyard was used as a taxi station, as defined by the first ripple created. Various additional functions were added to the plaza as the ripples moved towards the East, where the station's entrance is situated. Here benches that rise from the ground define the seating area and offer a place for vendors to display their wares, with hints of green spaces between each ripple.
A strong pedestrian axis runs through the centre of the circular ripple effect, providing a space for interaction between the shoppers and vendors. A place for social events and public gatherings is located towards the west. In conclusion, this shared language of ripples and the various circulation aspects define the plaza and transportation hub.
