The New Citadel | Behrooz Salimi

The New Citadel project is located in a 40-hectare area in the center of Mashhad, Iran, with the goals of promoting tourism and facilitating access through the enhancement of public transportation. This includes connecting the area to the city's metro network by designing a monorail line and creating new transportation stations. The project involves the design of accommodations and multi-functional buildings.Key objectives include reducing existing traffic on main arteries, improving visual quality, enhancing pedestrian and cycling paths, and preserving architectural landmarks and memorable functional identities of the region (such as well-known food shops, religious minorities, and cultural-artistic functions) through a new language of design. Additionally, it aims to boost the economy, environment, and social interactions while respecting the diversity of the local community.

This will be achieved through the modification and improvement of access routes, the creation of new spaces, and the restoration and revitalization of old architectural landmarks. The project seeks to increase green spaces, enhance vibrancy, and create suitable conditions for tourism, drawing inspiration from traditional Iranian enclosed gardens. This enclosure is created using formal ramps that surround the landmarks and gardens, allowing for public engagement, thereby giving the area a contemporary identity while fulfilling the aforementioned objectives.