Project Name: ERAM
Architecture Firm: VIRAFORM
Completion Year:2018
Project location: Eram Street , QOM
Lead Architects: REZA JAFARI
Photo credits: Ali Esmaeili
Design Team: Reza Jafari, Viraform Team
Clients: Mohsen Soltani
Engineering: Mohammad Alborzi
The site of this project is located on Eram walking Street near The historic bazaar in the Qom city near Fatima Masumeh Holy Shrine. Due to the importance of the project location in terms of the historical context of Eram walking Street, this project started with urban research in Eram street facades and sidewalks. By studying the history of street formation in the first Pahlavi period, and especially the second Pahlavi period, it was determined that significant buildings with various architectural features have been built in this location. The study revealed that the recent addition of new advertisement signs and constructions without supervision has led to severe irregularities in the street facade. This height disorder in the city skyline, as well as numerous advertisements on city signs, has caused a certain lack of unity and order in this location.
The results of this study revealed that the facade should be designed that does not create as much disorder as possible in this chaotic context. Also, it is important to design the facade that rejects multiple billboard advertisements and confusion. Also, turquoise color and white brick material can be considered as suitable choices for this urban situation because they were frequently used in the location. The height of the facade should be implemented according to the new regulation requirements so that it does not damage the future skyline of the walking street as much as possible.
In order to achieve the study results in the design, a Double skin facade with a complete square shape was considered as a pure form. In the outer skin, vertical layers of white bricks were used. And in the second inner skin, the turquoise tiles are worked in a grid shape next to the glass brick. these complete squares form a vertical and horizontal grid in two shells as the fabric. The use of glass bricks along with turquoise tiles in the second skin of the facade has caused the light to enter the commercial interior spaces in the form of a grid shape shadow and is suitable for the commercial use of carpet shops, rings, etc. In this way, it is possible to prevent the installation of panels and visually disturbing elements.
To install the Eram brand nameplate, the first brick facade on the right side is sitting backward in addition to paying more attention to the warp and weft structure, it provides a suitable platform for installing the integrated nameplate. Continuing the vertical stretching of the facade with brickwork, while creating energy stability in the facade, will lead to different visual visibility when walking on the street and will create a different visual experience in harmonizing with the context.
The structure of the double skin facade with the warp and weft structure reminds the Iranian traditional carpet. The sense of aesthetic memory with the nostalgia of turquoise tiles color and brick that relates to Iranian traditional architecture. So in this project, we tried to Respect the sense of place according to the contextual method of design.
