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RELIEF PLAN FOR A BELVEDERE

The Belvedere is the first garden proposal in a series of gardens* for reviving Mehrgerd, Tehran’s oldest qanat. The site is located on the path of the qanat, on a four hundred square meter urban cavity that belongs to the city. The belvedere is an analogy to the mountain, and the qanat system’s gravitary logic, making the slope the project. The belvedere is a traditional element of the persian garden, composed here of 5 planted terraces accessible through a promenade, that will take visitors from the ground plane to the top of the structure. Water from the qanat will be pumped up, using solar energy, to supply three water basins that use oxygenating plants that filter air and water, making the belvedere also a fountain,  a cooling island, and a surmountable monument.

*As part of Tehran Garden Festival Project, an experimental urban project for the revival of a blinded underground channel, historically at the origin of the city. By re-appraising the water infrastructure, the project also seeks to create a new narrative for the preservation of historic urban fabric in constant threat of destruction. The project is structured around processional actions, that include workshops, talks, and exhibitions, in anticipation of the festival.