Reinterpreting Historical Iwan Typology in Contemporary Context

Date: 03 May 2025 - 21:47

News ID: ۱۳۹۱۴۳

TEHRAN (Designboom) -- The Dehkadeh Iwan project by Super Void Space reinterprets the historical iwan typology in a contemporary context.
Traditionally, an iwan is an elevated, semi-enclosed vaulted space, open on one side, commonly found in Iranian architecture since the Parthian era. It is characterized by a single arch, three enclosed sides, and a connection to a central courtyard or nave.
The design references this archetype and adapts it within the framework of a mid-20th-century villa located in Dehkadeh village, Iran, an area with an established urban context.
The original villa, constructed approximately 50 years ago during the pre-revolution modernist period, is a single-story structure with thick walls and low ceilings.
The architectural intervention involved the selective removal of the original roof in the living room area, identified as the spatial core of the house.
In its place, a 7-meter-span arch was inserted, forming a contemporary iwan facing the courtyard. This modification introduced vertical extension and improved visual access to the surrounding vegetation while establishing a new semi-open sitting area at roof level.
A corresponding structure, similar in scale and form, was added within the courtyard. Positioned in alignment with the main iwan, this secondary element introduces a spatial dialogue between the two arches.
A narrow water feature was installed between them, enhancing microclimatic comfort and reinforcing the axis. The configuration positions the central courtyard as a transitional zone, integrating the internal living space with the external environment.
The new spatial framework is defined by a reinforced concrete (RCC) structural system combined with retained north–south load-bearing walls. Non-load-bearing partitions were removed or repositioned to simplify the building’s volume into a cubic form, integrating the new arch while improving internal spatial continuity. For the material palette, the design team at Super Void Space opted for grey cement on the exterior and exposed brickwork on the interior.
Brick is applied across floors, walls, and ceilings, contributing to thermal regulation and referencing traditional Iranian construction.
A series of luminous ‘bricks’ is embedded within the arch, providing layered illumination while adding a contemporary detail to the historical reference.
At the interface between the main iwan and the courtyard, a swing is suspended from the arch. This element references traditional recreational practices and introduces a kinetic feature that further mediates the relationship between built form and landscape. The Dehkadeh Iwan project engages with Iranian architectural heritage through spatial adaptation and material expression, establishing continuity between historical typology and present-day usage.