Shafagh Tomb / 35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office

Architects: 35-51 ARCHITECTURE office
Area: 448 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Arash Akhtaran
Lead Architects: Hamid Abbasloo,Abbas Yaghooti,Neda Adiban Rad
Category: Religious Architecture, Crypts & Mausoleums
Design Team: Mohammad Reza Aghaie
Calligraphy Artist: Mohammad Reza Amouzad
Phase 2 & Construction Consultant: Javad Hadavandi
Glaze Artist: Shirin Soroudi, Mehdi Rahimi
Structure: Majid Koolivand
Mechanical: Hadi Salehi
Construction Manager: Naser Akbarzadeh
Construction Supervisor: Mostafa Jafari
Construction Collaborators: Mohammad Reza Khani, Hashem Rezaie, Mohammad Hafiz, Mehdi Masumi, Jalil Mohamadi, Reza Arabi
Program / Use / Building Function: Religious Building
City: Ardakan
Country: Iran

Shafagh Tomb cultural architecture project designed by 35-51 ARCHITECTURE office in Ardakan, Iran continues Iran’s thousand-year-old tradition of tomb construction while offering a contemporary interpretation of historical forms. Rather than replicating past models, the design reimagines traditional elements to reflect modern values. The dome, typically elevated and inaccessible, is lowered to human scale, symbolizing democratization. The tomb also challenges the boundary between private and public space by functioning as an entry to the cemetery, making it both a commemorative monument and a civic element. Drawing on the regional tradition of covered passageways, or Sabats, the structure incorporates shaded zones that mitigate desert heat and provide a gathering place for religious and communal use. Positioned between sacred and everyday realms, the tomb aims for inclusivity by acknowledging individual and collective memory, honoring tradition while addressing the needs of contemporary society.

We were facing a historical tradition that spanned over a thousand years, and we asked ourselves: how could our architecture continue this lineage while speaking in today’s language?
Interview with Hamid Abbasloo and Neda Adiban Rad of 35‑51 ARCHITECTURE office

Shafagh tomb / 35-51 architecture office

Respect for the dead has long occupied a significant role in Iranian culture. This reverence has been expressed through the construction of tombs, mausoleums, and crypts, to the extent that nearly every region, city, and village contains such structures. This cultural focus on honoring the deceased has sustained a tomb-building tradition that spans nearly a thousand years. Over the centuries, this tradition has experienced numerous formal and stylistic evolutions.

This tradition encompasses a wide range of architectural forms, from the early examples of towers and domed structures in the 4th century AH to pavilion-like tombs in the 11th century AH, from enclosed volumes to those that engage with the surrounding environment, from commemorative monuments to pilgrimage destinations, from individual graves to collective burial sites, and from modest constructions to elaborate and highly detailed buildings.

The Shafaq Tomb carries forward this historical tradition, though it does not simply replicate the past. Rather, it aims to convey a contemporary interpretation of Iran’s history, culture, and beliefs. This is achieved by recontextualizing the familiar symbols and architectural concepts associated with Iranian mausoleum-pilgrimage structures. For instance, the dome is removed from its conventional, elevated placement and brought down to human scale, symbolically democratizing it and aligning it with modern social ideals. In the same way, the traditional inscription that is usually found beneath the dome is freed from its constrained setting and reimagined as a modern calligraphic artwork, transforming it into a visual expression of liberty.

The Shafaq Tomb adopts a similar approach in its engagement with the surrounding context. By transforming a private mausoleum into an entry point for the cemetery, the design shifts the space into the public realm, blurring the boundary between a commemorative structure and a utilitarian one. Moreover, drawing inspiration from the covered passageways found in traditional regional architecture, known as Sabats, it introduces a shaded area that helps mitigate the desert heat in the city of Ardakan for both pilgrims and passersby, while also offering an appropriate setting for religious gatherings. Through this approach, the tomb occupies a transitional space between a private memorial and a public gathering place.

In conclusion, the Shafaq Tomb aspires to achieve maximum inclusiveness. It honors both individual and collective identities, acknowledges the sacred while also recognizing the importance of the ordinary and everyday, and respects historical legacy while pursuing contemporary relevance. As a result, beyond preserving the symbolic and functional elements of mausoleum-pilgrimage architecture, it becomes a space that serves the city and its inhabitants.