Description
The roof…
The wind was alive in the highs and lows of the roof. There was air to breathe. One could forget that the roof was for “those frightened by rain and the sun.” I always walked barefoot on the roof, what a blessing we lost. Shoes are humanity’s last stand in denying the fall of man, an allegory of the sorrow being away from heaven has left us in. There is evil in shoes. They create chaos in the healthy conversation between earth and our feet. I used to be barefoot most of the times; on the roof, nothing was worth more than the rough layer of thatch under my feet.
The Blue room – Sohrab Sepehri
Base Plane
The project location is the loft and the roof of a two-story inn, located in a historic district in the south of Abbasi Great Mosque and Naqsh-e Jahan Square. This region has long been surrendering more and more of its areas to new buildings that are limited to a 6-9 meter height.
Subject
Not so long ago, roofs were considered to be a part of the house/city as people of Isfahan used roofs in a variety of different ways, including sleeping under mosquito nets on the roof in the summer, chatting with their neighbors over their roofs, keeping pigeons etc. Such nostalgic scenes have been eternalized through the movie “Majid’s Tales”. Nowadays, however, these roofs have turned into deserted spaces that are used for air coolers, satellite dishes water tanks and insignificant objects.
Considering the unique location of such buildings, how can we use the potential of these spaces which are left forgotten in current times? Is it possible, considering the situation at hand, to expand this historic district?
Main idea
Even though many of those small but cordial and invigorating houses have been replaced by two or three-unit apartments, which are in no way connected with or affected by their surrounding context and landmarks, the prospect of this addition could be a prototype for reusing these forgotten spaces in historic districts. It is as if we are proposing a comprehensive plan for a city on the city called Roof City.
Design details
In order to turn the loft into a space fit for the guests’ residence, first we removed or organized the ducts, the air coolers, the pipes and facilities and the extra walls as much as possible. Then, we cantilevered the ceiling by a meter through retrofitting the building and installed an openable window across the entire eastern front, which upon opening unifies the internal and external spaces. These changes give the loft the maximum amount of view and connection with the surrounding area.
We have also created a space for random experiences by putting the entrance on downstairs’ platform, removing the extra walls in the staircase, widening the stair flooring and installing a skylight on the ceiling. With attention to prevailing texture and base plane, and to create a new yet familiar space, all walls and the internal and external floors were paved.
Farsi
Please click on the Link below to read the information in Farsi Language.
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