preserving pairidaēza a strategy for Persian garden preservation in Shiraz, Iran
Cassandra Salehi Hammerstad Student no.150401
University
Tutors
Date
Urbanism & Societal Change The Royal Danish Academy
Tamara Kalantajevska Deane Alan Simpson
February 11th 2021
Table of Content
2
00 Executive Summary
p. 04
01 The Societal Theme
p. 06
02 The Site
p. 14
03 The Garden
p. 22
04 The Program
p. 28
05 Hand-in Requirements
p. 32
06 CV
p. 34
07 Iconography
p. 36
08 Bibliography
p. 38
caspian sea TABRIZ TEHRAN KARAJ
ISFAHAN
SHIRAZ
persian gulf
UNESCO World Heritage Sites 3
Gardens
fig1. Map of heritage sites in Iran. by author
MASHAD
Executive Summary Preservation of the gardens as critical infrastructure and for cultural production. The ordered paradise is one of two archetypes of heavenly gardens. The “pressure to protect themselves from, or to overpower nature...”(Manzoor, 1993, p.13), is what defines its climatic design elements. But the space within is just as much a social setting, where the heavenly image and the speech of good have manifested itself, long before the advent of Islam.” (Hammerstad, 2020) The most traditional type of Persian garden is Chahar Bagh or ‘four-folded garden.’ It is characterized as a formal, symmetrical, and enclosed green space, enriched for all sense. Two axes of water flow from north to south and east to west, diving the garden in four. In this project I want to explore the garden as a social catalyst in a country where the tension between tradition and modernization is most prevalent. With a society torn apart, the garden has the potential to be the mechanism to unite the two sides. Today there are some chahar bagh gardens left in Iran, of which only nine are registered in the National Heritage List. (The Persian Garden, n.d.) Yet, a much larger number have been demolished, due to mass migration to urban cities and the need for rapid housing construction. The rate of demolition needs to slow down, and the exploration of active preservation needs to be unfolded. I will investigate the garden’s significant spatial and psychological presence, on the city scale, the scale of a garden, and of certain architectural elements. Searching for symmetry between the story of the past and the necessity of the presence.
4
00
The word paradise derives from the Persian word pairidaēza, which directly translates to “surrounded by walls.” Aben & Wit, 1999
5
The Societal Theme Causes
Political Economical
Effect
Environmental Preservation
The disappearing gardens relates to a number of causes and effects; Political shifts, economic drawbacks, environmental pressure, and the unresolved question of preservation. The lack of attention paid to the gardens is concerning. At the time of metropolitan cities appearing, the rapid construction projects were not being supervised properly. That is when we saw the fate of the gardens in the hands of untrained builders, who viewed the gardens as an easy target for a larger profit. Overdue laws and regulations relating to the escalating rate of demolitions helped slow down the process. But a typical scenario appeared where landowners deliberately burned/dried up trees, then claimed to the Municipality that their gardens had caught fired naturally, in order to gain a construction permit. (Mahdizadeh, 2014) Therefore I want to investigate, on a strategic level, new methods of protecting the gardens. Working together with active citizens who today are criticizing the government’s lack of recognition of the value of the gardens. In continuously densifying Shiraz, the need for and access to these green lungs, historical or newer, becomes critical. As the pairidaēza presents a relief in the warm climate and a social setting for connecting the divided population. Therefore there is an urgency for new models of active preservation and cycles of maintenance in order to preserve the gardens that are left.
6
The Societal Theme
01
Demolished Historical Gardens
7.
1. 26.
9. 2.
3.
10.
8.
5. 4. 6.
25. 24.
12.
13.
11.
14.
15. 16.
17. 18. 21. 19. 20. 22.
1. Ferdows 2. Habib Abad 3. Abdol Fatlolkhani 4. Rash Behesht 5. Safa 6. Ataodoleh 7. Takht
7
8. Saboohabad 9. Padeshah Kachal 10. Nou 11. Zaki Khani 12. Samad Agha 13. Shaikh 14. Nomoshiri
fig2. Map of demolished gardens in Shiraz. by author
15. Khandagh 16. Behjat Abad 17. Atabak 18. Zel 19. Kalantari 20. Azodoleh 21. Sabooh Abadi
22. Shazdeh Beigom 23. Poodnak 24. Sondhori 25. Darki 26. Kafshgar
Timeline Political & Economical Factors
8
The Societal Theme fig3. Cut down tree in Tehran. theguardian.com
fig4. Cut down tree in Tehran. theguardian.com
1. Mahdizadeh S. Historical Gardens in Transition in 20th Century Iran: A Critical Analysis of Garden Conservation. Published online 2014. 2. Wright R. GHOST TOWERS The view from Iran’s housing crisis. New Yorker. Published online 2019. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/10/21/ghost-towers 9
fig5. Protest in Noshahr. chn.ir fig6. Symbolic protest in Kerman. by Hamid Sadeghi
fig7. Timeline: political and economical factors. by author
Current Climatic Conditions Iran has 11 out of the world’s 13 climates, ranging from arid to subtropical along the Caspian coast and the northern forests. (“Iran,” n.d.) The mountains of Alborz in the north and the mountains of Zagros in the south converge in the west of Iran. This stops humid winds coming from the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Mediterranean Sea, from entering the inner regions of the country. Here, ¾ of the country, no water is left in surplus as the amount of evaporation exceeds the precipitation amount. (Haftland, 2003) As can be read in Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, which states “precipitation levels decreased by 25 percent [from 2017 to 2018 ], felt even in historically water-rich areas in the country’s north and northwestern areas.”(Badawi, 2018). This has left the country facing extreme temperatures, droughts, dust storms, and dry rivers. But another urgent environmental issue is pollution, which has been reported as the cause of nearly 30,000 deaths per year, by IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency). (France-Presse, 2019) This is the result of heavy-duty vehicles, motorbikes, refineries, and power plants. (France-Presse, 2019)
10
The Societal Theme fig8. ‘The Dry River’ in Shiraz. globalvoices.org
fig9. Pollution in Tehran. caspiannews.com
Precipitation
2200
(mm) 200
Pollution
20
11
(NO2) (1015 molec/cm2)
4600
fig10. Average precipitation distribution in Iran. by author fig11. Average air-pollution distribution in Iran. by author
Preservation The traditional system of preservation usually involves the government’s point of view only. Tayfun Serttas, a Turkish artist, “argues that there is no cultural heritage, only political heritage created by regimes whose interest is consolidating and perpetuating their power, sometimes at the expense of the common good.”(Otero-Pailos et al., 2016, p.15). This is the case in Iran, which makes it essential to explore new ways of preserving for this project. “Unlike traditional preservation thinking, experimental preservation considers any object, ask and evaluate how this object may, or may not, become useful and create a community. Asking the question, who decides and who knows what is worth preserving?” (Hammerstad, 2020)
Intangible Heritage Some argue that national monuments for tourists is a country’s cultural heritage, others believe everything is worth celebrating. Another way to define it is by the criteria of three: objectness, pastness, and human message. “These may lead us to the following identification: any ‘object’ (including movable and immovable, so called tangible and intangible heritage) that has ‘aged’ (the length of this age is relative), and has a human message (or something from past generations to communicate) is eligible to be designated as cultural heritage.”(Hodjat, 1995, p.53). tangible: historic sites, monuments, and artifact intangible: customs, traditions, arts, rites, ways of life...
12
The Societal Theme
Shifts in Preservation Perception
1. Mahdizadeh S. Historical Gardens in Transition in 20th Century Iran: A Critical Analysis of Garden Conservation. Published online 2014. 13
fig12. Timeline: shifts in preservation perception. by author
The Site City
Shiraz
Province
Fars
Area
240 km2
02
Population 1,565,572 urban area
1,870,000 metropolitan area
Density
6,670km2
The project will unfold on three scales; the city scale of Shiraz, the local scale of a selected garden, and on the architectural scale. The city scale will focus on strategies concerning preservation of green areas. The local scale will explore a new way of preserving that can bridge the gap between tradition and modernity. And the architectural scale will investigate the wall where the garden meets the buildt. Shiraz is the fifth-largest city in Iran and is located in the southwest. It is one of the oldest towns in ancient Persia and has been the capital of the country multiple times. Over 53 years, the city grew from 170,656 to 1,455,073. (Shiraz - The Green City, n.d.) This rushed growth resulted in numerous construction projects, to house the new population, which at the time also meant the destruction of historical gardens. This was a setback, as Shiraz was considered the garden-city for many Iranians, “During the Zand dynasty when Shiraz was the capital of Iran…The north part of old Shiraz (now Qasr Dasht and Chamran) was completely covered with gardens and green trees.”(“Shiraz,” n.d.)” The lack of preservation and maintenance models, and the few economical alternatives, has proven to overshadow the environmental and cultural importance of these green structures. This leaves even fewer pairidaēzas for an even higher population. 14
The Site
Rivers Green Areas Built Areas Historical Center District Borders
Qasr Dasht
Chamran
Airport
15
fig13. Map of Shiraz. by author
City Growth
1956
1976
2011
1996
16
The Site
fig14. City growth. by author
Green Degrowth
1920
1955
1975
2000
17
fig15. Green degrowth. by author
Factors for garden destruction # the emergence of cities # the trend for apartment construction # the large scale gardens potential for higher revenue
# the decline in agriculture Shiraz
# the rapid population growth but also # the increase in costs of garden maintenance # the lack of productivity of fruit gardens # the shortage of water supply # droughts # the increase in wage of gardeners # poor water distribution infrastructure # the complexity of inheritance laws # contentious rising prices of land (Mahdizadeh, 2014)
population
year 18
The Site
fig16. Population growth in Iran. by author
General information on Iran M
Economy
Iran’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been forecast at US$ 440 billion for 2019/20. Iran is also considered an energy superpower, with 10 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves and 15 percent of its gas reserves.” (The World Bank, 2020)
F
1950
Socioeconomics
Half of Iran’s vulnurable, some 4.5 million. benefit from social coverage. This through government social security programs, charities or other non-profit organizations. (The World Bank, 2020)
2015
Religion
98% of the population identify as Muslim (Shia 89%, Sunni 9%), and the 2% left consist of Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i. (Population of Iran, n.d.)
Demographics
Iranian socieity can be describe as young, and Iran also house one largest refugee populations in the world. (Population of Iran, n.d.) 0-14 : 24% <30 : 49% 15-64 : 70% >65 : 6.1%
Iran
2050
2100
19
fig17. Demographics in Iran. by author
Shiraz Green Typologies Garden Villas
Qasr-e Dasht Gardens
Agriculture
Wetlands
20
The Site
fig18-21. Shiraz Satellite. Google Maps
Shiraz Garden Typologies Bagh-e Eram
Jahan Nama Garden
Tomb of Saadi Shirazi
The Strategy The city strategy will also focus on the larger green belts in the edges of the city that functions to prevent further city sprawl. Investigating how they can work in relation to the preserved parks and gardens spread throughout the city. All together creating a grid of green connectivity throughout Shiraz.
21
fig22-24. Shiraz Satellite. Google Maps
The Garden District
nr.1
Size
40,000m2
Type
chahar bagh
The selected garden shows clear traits of design elements from the chahar bagh, such as the central axis and as an enclosed space. However, due to lack of maintenance the garden has become a deserted and unwelcoming space. Concerning the local scale, implementing new strategies of active preservation in the garden can give potential for revitalization. The wall, or the barrier between the garden and the surroundings, its current purpose and its potential, will be important factors in how the space is redefined. A continuous cycle of maintenance and introduction of mixed activities will allow the garden to offer a social setting to the neighborhood. Even more so important at a time where the environment is under pressure and the cities are become rapidly condensed, is it critical to nurture and upkeep the gardens left in the city.
22
The Garden
fig25. The selected garden. by author
03
The Selected Garden - District 1
The dry lake
Pardis Of Eram
Talkh-e-Dash
The garden
23
fig26. District 1 map. by author
Bagh-e Eram
Green Spaces at Site
2k m
5.
6.
1k m
7.
4.
1.
8.
11.
3.
9.
10.
2.
12.
1. Selected Garden 40,000m2 2. Jannat Garden 431,000m2 3. Women Park 21,000m2
24
The Garden
4. Hadis Park 7. Naseri Garden 15,000m2 15,000m2 5. Qasr-e Dasht Gardens 8. Afif Abad Garden 6. Talk-e-Dasht 126,000m2 99,000m2 9. Shiraz Art Garden 95,000m2 137,000m2
fig27. Shiraz satellite. Google Maps
10. Be’sat Park 39,000m2 11. Quri Park 16,000m2 12. Shaghayeg Park 93,000m2
11. lvd si B
11.
5.
11.
6.
d ash Roa Talkh D
The Selected Garden - Aerial View
6.
10.
ho EG
o do
3.
9.
m
250 8.
3.
8.
145
m
6.
270m 1.
7. 3.
4.
12.
2. 6. 6. 3. 1. Shopping Mall 2. Fundaay Land 3. Restaurant
25
4. Home good store 5. Supermarket 6. Cafe
fig28. The selected garden satellite. Google Maps
3. 7. Vegetable Market 8. Fast food 9. Pet store
10. Pharmacy 11. Office 12. Sports field
Pictures from outside the garden
26
The Garden
fig29-32. Photos. by Kiana Salehi
Pictures from outside the garden
27
fig33-36. Photos. by Kiana Salehi
The Program 50% Pleasure
50% Tradition
50% Production
50% Modernization
I am interested in defining and implementing the program in a way that will bridge the tension between citizens with traditional views and the modern youths. That entails identifying the traits of the garden that are worth preserving, and those which need to be updated. In 2008 a project was initiated in Shiraz, called Shiraz - The Green City. The project aimed to increase green space and limit the construction of unwanted settlements, as mass urbanization had a poor effect on living and climatic conditions. (Shiraz - The Green City, n.d.) This project is a great start toward green protection and production. Yet the project has neglected the cultural and historical value of the historical garden. I see my project to work in extension of the project while implementing additional focuses such as preservation of existing gardens and their spatial and psychological aspect. I also want to introduce programs that can give an economical benefit. Investigating agriculture in Shiraz as a part of the gardens is one way of doing this. But, at a moment of modernization, economic value can also be found in arts and recreational production. Which will also give the garden a new social layer. My ambition is for the programming to reflect both the historical functions of the gardens, as the enclosed garden of pleasure, whilst also understanding the need to reform certain aspects to preserve the gardens life and function in the present-day setting.
28
The Program
04
29
fig37-42. Varied sources. In bibliography fig43. Conflicts diagram. by author
Diverse Program “In the poetics of music Stravinsky pointed out that natural sounds such as the calls of birds and the whispering of breezes, though they may delight us, are materials for music rather than music itself. To become music, sounds must be chosen and arranged. So it is with the garden. Natural landscapes are not yet gardens; it is only through the selection and composition of their elements and materials that the gardens are made” Manzoor, S. (1993). Pardis Gardens in Iran. Chalmers University of Technology.
human
active preservation
animal
sight biodiversity
touch taste smell sound
plant insect
30
The Program
fig44. Actors diagram. by author
Program Division 25% women sanctuary
historical paradise 25%
# of women parks Tehran - 4 Isfahan - 5 Shiraz - 1
Pleasure
Water Shadow Spiritual Sensory
Tradition
Production
Wheat Rice Barley Sugar Pistachio Safran Tea Fruits Olive trees Flowers
Modernization
agriculture production 25%
31
fig45. Program diagram. by author
Music Theater Dance
25%
creative production
Hand-in Requirements City - Shiraz
35%
Strategy Map 1 : 25.000 On the city scale, I will develop a preservation strategy for the gardens of Shiraz as a whole. Working with mapping and spatial drawings, I will look into preservation as an active form of engagement. This includes exploring different approaches to systems of preservation.
Local - Park
50%
Strategy Map 1 : 1.000 Plan 1 : 500 The main focus of the project will be a redesign of the selected garden. The approach includes both redefining the garden spatially and phenomenologically. Creating a social catalyst that can unit a torn society, through the introduction of new activities and new boundaries - ‘walls’. This will be supplemented through spatial drawings, visualizations, and a mix of diagrams.
Architectural - Element
15%
Architecture / Design Element 1 : 50 The architectural scale will focus on the space where the garden meets the built. Looking into ways in which the wall can be activated. Producing models of these instances will help give a more tactile understanding of the space, and perhaps breed a new perception of Persian preservation.
32
The Requirements
05
Limitations Due to COVID-19, I will not be able to go to Shiraz and visit my site. Therefore I have resorted to contacting people in the city to get an understanding of the site through their perspective and with their help. 33
fig46. Charbagh Persian carpet, 17th century, Isfahan
CV Bachelor Degree Royal Danish Academy Institute of Technology 2015-2018
Exchange Semester Politecnico di Milano Spring 2018
Internship Petter Bogen Architecture Firm Sping 2019
Master Degree Royal Danish Academy Urbanism and Societal Change 2019-2021
34
The CV
06
The UN goals I will focus on are
35
fig47. UN goals. sdgs.un.org/goals
Iconography Mohammad Hassan Forouzanfar
36
The Iconography
fig48-49. Retrofuturism II. Mohammad Hassan Forouzanfar.
07
Office Kersten Geers David van Severen
37
fig50-53. Collage and photos. Office Kersten Geers David van Severen
Bibliography
08
Books
News Articles
Aben, R., & Wit, S. de. (1999). The Enclosed Garden. 010 Publishers.
Badawi, T. (2018). Iran’s Water Problem. Carnegie Endowment. https://carnegieendowment.org/ sada/77935
Haftland, D. K. K. (2003). The book of Iran. A survey on the Geography of Iran. https://books.google. dk/books?id=Gecy7sqblqoC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Lowenthal, D. (1985). The Past is A Foreign Country. Manzoor, S. (1993). Pardis Gardens in Iran. Chalmers University of Technology. Otero-Pailos, J., Langdalen, E., & Arrhenius, T. (2016). Experimental Preservation. Lars Müller Publishers.
Publications Hammerstad, C. (2020). No One Knows About Persian Planning. Hodjat, M. (1995). CULTURAL HERITAGE IN IRAN: policies for an Islamic country. Mahdizadeh, S. (2014). Historical Gardens in Transition in 20th Century Iran: A Critical Analysis of Garden Conservation.
Web Pages Iran. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Iran Population of Iran. (n.d.). Fanack. https://fanack.com/ iran/population/ Shiraz. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Shiraz Shiraz - The Green City. (n.d.). Urban Sustainability Exchange. https://use.metropolis.org/case-studies/ shiraz-the-green-city#:~:text=Massive urbanization has occurred all,pollution%2C and high energy consumption. The Persian Garden. (n.d.). UNESCO. https://whc. unesco.org/en/list/1372/ The World Bank. (2020). https://www.worldbank.org/ en/country/iran/overview
38
The Bibliography
France-Presse, A. (2019). Share on Twitter Share via Email Print this page Middle East Air Pollution Shuts Schools in Iran’s Capital. Voa News. https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/air-pollution-shuts-schools-irans-capital#:~:text=Air pollution was the cause,hazardous air over the city. Wright, R. (2019). GHOST TOWERS The view from Iran’s housing crisis. The New Yorker. https://www. newyorker.com/magazine/2019/10/21/ghost-towers
Figure List
08
fig1. Map of heritage sites in Iran. by author fig2. Map of demolished gardens in Shiraz. by author fig3-4. Tehran. https://www.theguardian.com/world/iran-blog/gallery/2013/oct/09/iran-tehran-chenar-trees-vali-asr fig5. Protest in Noshahr. http://chn.ir/NSite/FullStory/News/?Id=105342&Serv=0&SGr=0> fig6. Symbolic protest in Kerman. http://www.iranerooz.com/content/ شرازگ-یريوصت-ضارتعا-هب-عطق-ناتخرد-رد-ک- 94016 .html> fig7. Timeline: political and economical factors. by author fig8. ‘The Dry River’ in Shiraz. https://community.globalvoices.org/2018/04/water-scarcity-has-become-a-pressing-issue-iniran/ fig9. Pollution in Tehran. https://caspiannews.com/news-detail/severe-air-pollution-in-iran-turns-into-major-public-healthcrisis-2019-12-25-59/ fig10. Average precipitation distribution in Iran. by author fig11. Average air-pollution distribution in Iran. by author fig12. Timeline: shifts in preservation perception. by author fig13. Map of Shiraz. by author fig14. City growth. by author fig15. Green degrowth. by author fig16. Population growth in Iran. by author fig17. Demographics in Iran. by author fig18-21. Shiraz satellite. Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shiraz,+Fars+Province,+Iran/ fig22-24. Shiraz satellite. Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shiraz,+Fars+Province,+Iran/ fig25. The selected garden. by author fig26. District 1 map. by author fig27. Shiraz satellite. Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shiraz,+Fars+Province,+Iran/ fig28. The selected garden satellite. Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shiraz,+Fars+Province,+Iran/ fig29-36. Photos. by Kiana Salehi fig37. Photo. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/aug/09/women-only-parks-tehran-iran-segregated-outside-spaces fig38. Photo. http://irantravelexplorer.com/discovering-iran-farm-forestry-fishing/ fig39. Photo. https://maptia.com/jeremysuyker/stories/iran-s-underground-art-scene fig40. Photo. https://theonearmedcrab.com/41-the-end/ fig41. Photo. https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/412236/Plastic-industries-environmental-bodies-campaign-for-litter-free fig42. Photo. http://irantravelexplorer.com/discovering-iran-farm-forestry-fishing/ fig43. Conflicts diagram. by author fig44. Actors diagram. by author fig45. Program diagram. by author fig46. Persian garden carpet. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isfahan_Garden_carpet.jpg fig47. UN goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals fig48-49. Retrofuturism II, Mohammad Hassan Forouzanfar. https://www.instagram.com/mh__forouzanfar/?hl=en fig50-53. Collage and photos. Office Kersten Geers David van Severen. http://officekgdvs.com/ 39
The Figure List
preserving pairidaeza
by Cassandra Salehi Hammerstad
40