Shahinshahr Women's Park

Before the 1979 revolution, Iranian women enjoyed significant freedoms, but the new government imposed strict restrictions on their lives, including their clothing choices. Women who had experienced a modern lifestyle under the Pahlavi era resisted these limitations through civil disobedience, culminating in the Woman-Life-Freedom movement. In response to women's protests, the government established Women’s Parks, which functioned as isolated spaces that superficially offered freedom but ultimately reinforced societal restrictions. These parks, surrounded by high walls, created a dual existence: limited freedom within and oppression outside. Following the Woman-Life-Freedom movement, a project for Shahinshahr Women's Park was proposed. This project aimed to design a walled park that included various facilities, prompting a key question: what role should architects play against oppressive ideologies—active or passive? We envisioned the project as a mediator between present realities and future possibilities. Our goal was to transform the oppressive wall into a boundary that symbolized both the current state and aspirations for the future. The first step involved reimagining the Women’s Park as a public space with a cultural-sports complex. Next, instead of creating a dense structure, we organized spaces into cells surrounding a central courtyard to enhance their interaction with the urban environment. Finally, we categorized the spaces into those where men and women could mix and those reserved for women. This approach allowed some cells to function simultaneously inside and outside, blurring the lines of restriction and envisioning a future free from oppressive boundaries. We also included empty spaces within the cells, representing the potential for transformation of what is now the Islamic government’s harem into a public area.