Jahad Metro Plaza

English description provided by the architects.

Tehran's development adopted a car-oriented model, prioritizing the construction of highways, numerous streets, and dense urban blocks.

As a result of this prioritization of automobiles, urban development focused more on facilitating vehicle access and expanding the street network rather than creating pedestrian-oriented spaces.

Due to economic challenges, sanctions, and increasing urban density, addressing this issue was deprioritized for nearly four decades, leading to a significant management gap in this area.

In recent years, a project called "Meydangah" was initiated by a group of urban specialists and the previous municipal administration.

The project aimed to identify and activate spaces with the potential to become vibrant urban nodes. In this research, 100 locations across Tehran, comprising underutilized or low-quality spaces, were identified and prioritized.

The project's philosophy was that these revitalized spaces, like seedlings, would enhance the broader urban structure, making the implementation of the first project crucial to the concept's advancement.

Among the identified spaces was the entrance to a metro station at the intersection of "Vali Asr" Street, a historic artery that connects northern and southern Tehran and passes through the city's original growth core.

Unfortunately, in Tehran and other cities, metro entrances have been developed in a haphazard manner, often disregarding pedestrian needs and spaces for pausing along walking routes. This neglect has led to multiple issues for users and local residents, diminishing urban quality.

Initially, due to budget constraints, the client requested a basic sidewalk design. However, we managed to persuade the client to endorse a more impactful project aligned with the master plan through extensive discussions.

This approval was crucial to the success of the "Meydangah" project. Currently, the plaza area in front of the entrance has been organized by the municipality for local vendors, and the inner plaza space has become a social hub for activities such as sitting, waiting, and hosting street musicians.

Due to its location at the intersection of one of the city's major corridors, this metro station had relatively accessible land within a dense urban block.

The site was triangular in shape, covering an area of 1,500 square meters, with various characteristics that needed to be reimagined.

Among the existing structures, there was a low-quality, cube-shaped glass entrance enclosure covering the entrance staircase.

Additionally, two restrooms for men and women were located in the space, but were positioned poorly and inconveniently.

Other sections of the land remained abandoned and unused, suggesting that a cohesive design for optimal use had not been considered. After gathering data and identifying the urban needs of the chosen site, we decided to create a comprehensive design plan.

Based on preliminary requirements and study results, we decided to address all spatial issues on the site through a cohesive, unified structure, aligning existing elements and realizing desired functions within a space with a clear identity.

This challenge led us to incorporate a combination of geometric arches, forms that represented the below-ground spaces and their functionality, while being executable with local methods.

By arranging these arches, we transformed the metro's subterranean area so that the ground-level metro entrance became an "urban labyrinth" and a pause space for pedestrians and commuters alike.  This integrated, cohesive design met diverse needs, providing a dynamic and multifaceted experience for users and endowing the metro entrance with a distinct and unique identity through the coordination of form and space.