Between 30 and 35 million Kurds inhabit a mountainous Region straddling the borders of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. They combine the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East. Throughout history, Kurds have been persecuted, their identity repressed and thousands of Kurds have been murdered in war and executed in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. 

The Kurdish memorial hall serves as a place where the dead will be remembered. The site, located in Sanandaj, Iran, has a rich history. 

This building will show the scale of trauma, experienced through the tunnel which is intersected by lines in the heart of the hill. At the mountain’s peak, Kurdish unity and people are celebrated and are provided a place to dance. 

The focus of the design is to create a place in which Kurdish people can communicate and celebrate their autonomy through dance.

- AYRIN ASSADIMOGHADAM / 2016 / UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE -