Oudlajan District
Original name
Oudlajan District
Geographic Area
Tehran, Iran
Reference Project
Analysis and design of the landscape in the old city of Oudlajan.
International Workshop:
“Documentation of Oudlajan Area in Tehran. Analysis for Development o Proposal for Recovery and Requalification of the Urban Landscape”. 8-13 September 2012.
Site description
The Oudlajan district is located in the central area of Tehran. It is organized in central units which have subtly replaced the original gardens that characterized the old urban fabric.
Tehran’s development began in the Safavid period with fortified walls delimiting the city. However the present structure is due to the urbanization of the late 18th century under the first Qajar king “Agha Mohammad Khan”, when the city becomes the capital of Iran. Old Tehran was divided into five main districts. Oudlajan is the only one who has managed to keep its original structure to this day. Nevertheless, it has suffered a lot from the forced modernization in the 20th century under the rule of Pahlavi dynasty. The new boulevards, that were inspired by the major urban interventions in Europe in the late 19th century, cut the district in three neighborhoods: the western, the middle and the eastern Oudlajan.
Oudlajan had a strong and organic relation with the old Bazar which is located south of the area. After the modernization interventions of the past centuries, Oudlajan was quickly cut away from the Bazar district, which led to the abandonment and to a general degradation of the area. Today it suffers from uncontrolled expansion of activities that are incoherent with the traditional neighborhood life: parking, warehouses, wholesaling and other activities are almost completely linked to the Bazaar and, despite everything, keep the neighborhood alive.
Credits
Promoted by
School of Architecture, college of Fine Arts, University of Teheran
CEAT, Centre of Excellence in Architectural Technology,
Organization of Teheran Beautification, Teheran Municipality.
Coordinator
Pirouz Hanachi
Hamed Mazaherian
Stefano Bertocci
Sandro Parrinello
Partnership
UNIPV, University of Pavia
UNIFI, University of Florence
University of Teheran
Survey Activities
Urban Analysis
Stefano Bertocci, Sandro Parrinello, Matteo Pasquini, Francesca Picchio, Saeed Aman, Hadi Naderi, Perastou Eshrati, Elham Doustvandi, Reza eyzi, Ahmad Oloumi, Amin Amini, Somayeh Fadainejad.
Sketches
Stefano Bertocci
Sandro Parrinello
Francesca Picchio
Photo
Matteo Pasquini
Saeed Aman
Pano Tour
Matteo Pasquini
Francesca Picchio
Post production Activities
2D Drawings
Student of University of Teheran
Virtual Pano Tour
Matteo Pasquini
- Gallery
- Virtual Tour
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Documentation Methodology
[supsystic-gallery id=49][supsystic-gallery id=51][supsystic-gallery id=52]
The documentation and analysis of the current image of the Oudlajan district is a part of the International Workshop aimed at elaborating a critical representation of the place to provide the basis for redevelopment and valorization concept ideas.
A visual-perceptual study was applied to analyze and describe the complexity and the morphology of the open spaces and buildings, using and drawings sketches and a digital camera. Through the drawing, the volumetric relationships between the buildings and the open spaces, object of the design intervention, were made explicit. The drawing made it possible to highlight the critical issues of the place and to provide the necessary basis for punctual and linear design ideas along the entire path.
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Using a photographic tool, sequential videos of the entire path were produced. The photographic documentation through pano tours concerned the main cores of the path, from the market entrance to the boulevard, to create a virtual tour along the area and facilitate the explanation of relationships during the execution of the concepts. Detailed photographs of the different environments were also taken in order to capture the chromatic component and mood of the neighborhood’s daily activities.
