Dream Land

Farshad Mehdizadeh was commissioned by the isfahan housing development organization to refurbish an existing commercial center across a parking lot from the dreamland theme park. stemming from a simple facade re-design, the architect saw an opportunity to push the scope further and develop a more socially and architecturally integrated design that would interact with its surroundings. taking the 6×6 structural module of the existing building, roof planes are extruded in cube-like forms creating an almost safdie-esque habitat of overlapping decks and canopies of various sizes. the parking lot was relieved of its function and converted into a public plaza containing cafes, restaurants, galleries and open spaces for the community. the commercial center with its tunneled cubes is oriented in all directions framing various views of the surrounding city while it defines a path of circulation that alternates from interior to exterior and offers constant unique views. The modular design is extrapolated to form a series of layered decks and roofs containing the commercial spaces.

Farshad Mehdizadeh and Raha Ashrafi were announced as the first prize winner of Isfahan Dreamland Commercial Center competition. This project defined as a facade designing project for an existing structure located in Isfahan Dreamland. The proposed project goes beyond simply designing a façade by responding to the nearby functions and activities, keeping in mind the potential and existence of the built structure, which results in a higher level of interaction between the building and its surroundings while decreasing construction costs. This is made possible through an architecture that is adaptable to the context and architectural character of the city of Isfahan. On the other hand, interaction between the project and its context (Dreamland) was obviously very important and became a primary design goal as well as a guideline to initiate the design. This interaction could generate mutual advantages for the entire complex which could not be possible due to a parking lot existing between the commercial complex and the Dreamland theme park, so the parking lot was eliminated and its function altered to a plaza. The design process started with the façade, and was initially assumed to be an incorrect approach to design, as designing a facade for a commercial complex which is essentially an introspective project is anticipated to act incongruously between the interior and the exterior and cannot be an appropriate design strategy for resolving the internal issues of the project. The principal design idea developed from an emphasis on the existing structure and exploiting its potential to respond to the brief and the new functional requirements. Furthermore, the building reverted to the cubic system which its fundamental structure cells were based upon; the existing structural DNA which are 6 x 6 modules. The fractal growth and reproduction of cubic modules generates an organizational system for the interior as well as the exterior of the building and introduces terraces and horizontal slabs which on one hand connects the plaza to the roof and on the other combines the inside and outside spaces of the complex. The integration of interior and exterior spaces optimizes human movement and circulation which ultimately rejuvenates the entire commercial area.The entertainment plaza encompasses cafes, restaurants, galleries and open spaces which make the facade habitable.