Introduction

Mahshahr Port, located in Khuzestan Province, has a hot and humid climate. On hot summer days, temperatures can reach up to 60 degrees Celsius, and humidity can be as high as 90 percent. Additionally, Mahshahr occasionally experiences sandstorms and dust storms.

Industrial Significance of Mahshahr

Mahshahr is a major hub for the petrochemical industry in Khuzestan Province and is the only strategic point in the country’s petrochemical sector. Mahshahr economic zone is the second most important petrochemical base in Iran after Assaluyeh.

KhourMahshahr is one of the few cities in Iran with Khour (inlets of the sea into the land).

Cultural Composition, Tourism and Amenities

The inhabitants of Mahshahr are a mix of Persians, Arabs, and Lurs. Due to the city’s industrial and economic significance, it also hosts many foreign visitors and traders, But Mahshahr has limited recreational and tourism facilities.

Context

Iran is a country with a long history and an inefficient economy. It is economically reliant on the sale of oil and gas, yet it has significant infrastructure in the service, industrial, and agricultural sectors that are overlooked, while they have the potential to strengthen the country's economy.

Conclusion

A city with a long history, mentioned in the travelogues of Nasir Khusraw and others as a commercial hub with a large marketplace, similar to Basra, paying a customs tax of 1 in 10.

It is one of the few places in Iran that has dolphi`ns, something even some of the local residents are unaware of, yet this fact holds great tourism potential. It is one of the rare cities with a natural phenomenon called ''Khour'', which also has high tourism potential. The city’s people once relied heavily on fishing, but today it has become a smaller version of Iran, with its economy relying on petrochemical industries. This reliance has infiltrated the mindset of the people, as many now seek employment in these petrochemical companies, leading to high unemployment rates and low levels of entrepreneurship. Industrial wastewater is uncontrolled, and the tension between industry and the public has intensified, resulting in fewer people frequenting the industrial areas and a decline in the quality of urban spaces. People have become passive under the dominance of industry, yet they are deeply concerned about their city. On the other hand, tourists and merchants visiting the city find it devoid of proper amenities and quality spaces. However, both the local population and the lucrative petrochemical industry are crucial, and they must work together to ensure a better future for Mahshahr.

Urban spaces, markets, natural phenomena, beaches, and docks are of low quality, while old villa residential areas have little green space but relatively better quality. In contrast, petrochemical plants are much more glamorous.

This raises questions:

- How far can architecture, as a tool for construction and development, really go?

- Can it create interaction between these two areas? Can it turn this desert into a living landmark?

- Can it bring people back into the area? Can it serve as a midpoint for people traveling between the industrial zone and old Mahshahr?

Can it create a platform for them to share their challenges, such as addressing the neglected Khors and their tourism potential, and to focus on the city’s other assets?

Can Architecture act as a mediator ?

The project located between the old Mahshahr and the residential area known as “industrial zone” in an undeveloped part of the city.

The building direction has created two triangular spaces in north-east and south-west corners of the site. The south edge of the land is allocated to the main entry as well as a private parking space for the property owners while the north edge contains the garden restaurant providing a vibrant nightlife outdoor.

Green spaces, Natural Ventilation and Enhancing Spatial Quality of Indoor and Outdoor spaces

In order to integrate the building with the landscape (surroundings) and create transparency, the concept was based on perpendicular stripes sectioned from north and south. The crossovers forming hollow spaces in between let the sunlight in and provide natural air circulation and indoor green spaces at the center of the building. The volume is designed in a way to have the most solid surfaces in the main facades (to keep the facades largely opaque ) and to locate openings in setbacks to avoid direct sunlight exposure.

- In a city where industry is being introduced on a serious scale, with a hot and humid climate and non-self-sustaining nature, the issues of open and semi-open spaces, ventilation, spatial quality, and creating green spaces have become more important and challenging, moving more towards artificial solutions. The unpleasant odor of chemicals during certain seasons is highly disturbing, and this issue can be improved by expanding green spaces and vegetation.

- This project is seriously contributing to this process with maximum open and semi-open spaces, plants, the creation of green areas, and as much natural ventilation as possible.

- The site was split into two main divisions, the east side of the land contains the building due to its easy access to main streets whereas the parking lots and a substitute land for probable future construction of a commercial building were situated at the west side. Consequently, the building is formed along an east-west direction heading to the north.

-Integrating indoor and outdoor spaces, volume direction, natural air circulation and light, controlling the direct sun exposure, bringing in the green space were the main goals for the design team to accomplish in DA restaurant and reception hall.

Economic Inflation

In small cities like Mahshahr, urban developments typically follow trends set by the capital. For instance, most of the non-industrial construction in Mahshahr has incorporated expensive stones due to the city's relatively strong financial situation. However, these materials are not suitable for Mahshahr, especially for building facades. As a cost-effective alternative, gypsum and paint have been used for interior spaces, while cement and paint have been applied to the exterior. The design has aimed to expose as much as possible, making it not only more economical but also easier to maintain, while aligning with the industrial character of the city.In accordance with the client's preferences and the architectural team's efforts to keep the ceilings exposed, the final design includes wooden beams, rather than installing false ceilings, providing a more open and authentic aesthetic.

After the unpredictable economic inflation in 2013, the project's cost estimation dramatically changed. To keep the project going it was inevitable to decrease the costs. So instead of referring to suppliers for needed products, the team decided to design some of the project’s details with a much lower cost, among which was the design and making the frame-less windows which resulted in a multi-hundred million Toman cost reduction. As such in the interior design, most of the furniture were designed and made by the design team.

Function

The client's wish was a complex including restaurant, women's and men's separate reception halls and a commercial kitchen to serve 2500 dishes per day.

The building has three main parts :

Public and VIP restaurants, and café on the East side in two levels, men's and women's reception halls on the West side in two levels and the commercial kitchen positioned at the heart of the building in two levels and a mezzanine, each with a separate entrance.

In the course of the project, the design team were asked to raise the output capacity of the kitchen to serve up to 4000 dishes a day, so to accommodate all the needs, the building expanded based on the existing pattern through the north edge and a mezzanine was attached between the ground floor and the first floor to place the food storage, locker room, staff dining space, laundry and bakery. Therefore, the spacious kitchen measuring 1000 sq.m would serve all the departments.

Another challenge in this project was the design of the commercial kitchen which was solved through the collaboration of the design team with a food industry expert. To do this, all the basic functions based on the proposed menu and kitchen’s capacity, needed spaces and their proportions were defined, the circulation and vertical/horizontal interconnections of spaces and equipment were taken into consideration.

''DA'' in  the  Lori   dialect means ''mother''. This project, like a mother providing food to the people, has aimed to create an urban space that belongs to the people.

It acts as a connector between the two fragmented parts of the city, fostering both the presence of people and interaction between them, the city, and the petrochemical companies, as well as their challenges. Given the acceptance it has gained from both sides, the project serves as a mediator.

DA hosts around 500 guests every night and delivers an average of 2,000 takeaway meals to the city.

Thus, spaces like the DA hall and restaurant can significantly contribute to improving the quality of life for the city's residents.

Currently, in addition to its regular operations, the complex also hosts various cultural and artistic events such as book launches for Mahshahr's authors, photography workshops, painting sessions, and more.

Da operates from morning until late at night, during the day, most of its services are directed towards petrochemical companies in the form of takeaways, while in the evening, its focus shifts to serving guests in the physical space. This has led to a more vibrant nightlife, especially given the area's temperatures, and has also contributed to an increase in the overall security of the region.

The new DA project, called DA Shopping Center, has recently been assigned to us by the clients. In the city's new master plan, around the DA project is designated for healthcare facilities, parks, and several green spaces. This brings immense joy to us and to DA, as a small part of facilitating this very positive development.