Description
Bazaar is the economical heart, and main core of development of the city. Mahallat market also enjoys a unique natural property: A roof of blue the sky with a border of tree branches as well as a waterway beneath the middle path.However, due to negligence of planners to the water element, only the sound of water can be heard in the bazaar. The major path of the market is 260 meters in length and minimum of 8 meters in width which increases up to 10 meters in some points. This pedestrian walkway links two main arteries of the city.Two other paths, each of 80 meters length, also join the main path. One of these corridors is the old bazaar and has a historical value. The bazaar’s area is of 4000 square meters altogether.
The main idea is to shape the waterway, providing various visual qualities in combination with the green spaces through the site. Since Mahallat is the chief flower exporter of Iran, focus on plants is one of prime design purposes of Mahallat bazaar. This is achieved by shaping the green spaces inside the bazaar resulting in stopping spots.Rehabilitation of the old bazaar which nowadays mostly includes storing buildings for other commercial parts of the market is other purpose of the design. This is realized by distinguishing the flooring of the old bazaar’s path as well as allocating trade of handicrafts, and local-cultural productions to this part of the bazaar. The access road to the bazaar, in the urban plan, is provided from the back end of bazaar, allocating the paths for pedestrian only.
Innovation and transferability - progress
Integration of natural and economical chains results in a dynamic framework. Natural cycle consists of making benefit of presence of water for aesthetical features as well as irrigating agricultural and floral areas.In addition, paying attention to bazaar settlers as another living part of the bazaar has resulted in a special type of social management. Such a social management is achieved by encouraging people to take part in cultural-economical activities intended for the rehabilitated old bazaar.Marketers as the wealthy class of population, with historical power in Iran’s political changes, can also be considered as a support for achievement of this goal.
Ethic standards and social equity-people
Shortages of the existing bazaar are as following:
1- Lack of facilitating connections across the water way. At present, bazaar residents have used blocks over the water way to satisfy their pedestrian needs.
2- Lack of rest spots for buyers specifically the elderly.
3- Negligence to settlers of the old bazaar which has resulted in lowering visual quality of their living place.
4- Accessibility of walkways for vehicles which is a threat for pedestrians and can destroy the flooring.
5- Negligence to religious places for people who are mostly religious.
Such deficiencies are considered to be solved in the design:
1- Provision of linking paths over water path beneath which filters and water treatment systems are located.
2- Provision of resting spots, public fountains, public telephones, and alms box-related to the religious spirit of the city.
3- Trans-function of historical part of the bazaar from storing buildings to the center of handicrafts and cultural supply run by the locals.
4- Prohibition of motor-vehicle traffic through the bazaar, except for emergencies, and provision of motor-vehicle access from the back end.
5- Provision of an open area with the same design as bazaar in front of the mosque in order to form a plaza to the mosque.
Environmental quality and resource efficiency-planet
Shortages of the existing bazaar are as following:
1- Negligence to the green spaces and planting patterns.
2- Lack of a proper irrigation system. At present, irrigation is done manually by making water barriers.
3- Negligence to line of sight. Existence of tall boxwoods which has obstructed the sight line.
4- Negligence to the floral diversity of Mahallat, as a principal flower exporter of Iran
Such deficiencies are considered to be solved in the design:
1- Incorporation of a landscape design which considers the waterway as well as development of a variety of plants in order to variegate and brighten the ambience.
2- Development of inclined flower beds, provision of sound irrigation for trees, and proper design of water passages between flower beds.
3- Omission of boxwoods (which are not local plants and grow in most parts of Iran), substituting local plants of shorter height.
4- Use of various flowers at the least cost –due to the potentials of the region- supported by marketers.
Materials
Enjoying from great Travertine mines, Mahallat is the biggest provider of this stone in Iran. Because of this local opportunity, which results in abundance as well as cost-effectiveness of Travertine, this material is proposed for the main flooring, inclined flower beds, cubic seats, kerbs and canals. To reduce cost the existing white travertine flooring is polished and preserved. The choice of white color is proposed to brighten the bazaar’s space, in contrast to trees’ shadow on the bazaar.
Economic performance and compatibility-prosperity
Shortages of the existing bazaar are as following:
- Shortages in urban scale
1- Negligence to settlers in terms of their role in trade chain.
2- Negligence to vendors as low-income sellers.
3- Negligence to bazaar-relevant traditional jobs such as guards ,servants, porters, etc
- Shortages beyond the urban scale
4- Lack of proper surface water management including the quality of outgoing water.
5- Lack of a program for night time activities in order to raise the bazaar’s income.
6- Negligence to tourist attraction potentials of the bazaar.
Such deficiencies are considered to be solved in the design:
1- Regeneration of historical market by settler’s participation.
2- Establishment of market stalls for vendors in a Brownfield area next to mosque within the main market.
3- Forbidding vehicular traffic within the bazaar, providing employment for handcart porters (approximately 5 people). The vehicular loading is only possible at the back end of the market which is predicted in urban design.
4- Provision of filters and sediment ponds in order to provide refined water used for irrigation purposes.
5- Provision of night activities’ areas such as traditional restaurants and tea houses as well as guesthouses, authorized by settlers.
6-Development and management of national and international tourist attractions and provision of trade of handcrafts and cultural productions.
Contextual and aesthetic impact - proficiency
Visual attractions of existing Mahallat bazaar has being neglected for years. New buildings have been constructed without a unique local architectural pattern. In landscape design of bazaar, it is firstly tried to arrange such disorders, enabling hidden natural attractions to reappear.Water as a ritual element and the symbol of purity is integrated with plants assymbols of cultivability and happiness in Persian culture to create a unique ambience. Shadow, another cultural-architectural element, is livened up under the trees since the bazaar is roofless. Side facades are renovated based on traditional local architectural patterns in order to create a unique landscape in Mahallat city.
