Saeed Amini

advisor

Tehran University of Art

United Arab Emirates

I am an architect, researcher, and architectural critic who views architecture not merely as a… more

The project presents a poetic and visually coherent vision, with a strong central narrative that ties the square, the architectural language, and the settlement structure into a unified whole. The layering of public spaces and the reinterpretation of white-stone Russian motifs give the proposal a distinctive cultural identity, and the decision to treat the square as the heart of civic life is both appropriate and well articulated. However, several aspects would benefit from deeper refinement to strengthen the project’s spatial logic and long-term urban performance. The relationship between the expressive architectural vocabulary and the more geometric settlement grid occasionally feels under-resolved; some transitions between the public core and the residential fabric could be more gradual or programmatically richer to encourage everyday use rather than relying solely on symbolic hierarchy. The circulation system, while clear in diagram, risks becoming overly axial and may limit opportunities for informal pedestrian flows introducing secondary paths, micro-squares, or mid-block permeability would likely enhance the lived experience. In the central square, the sculptural observation tower is compelling but demands a clearer structural rationale and a more explicit integration with adjacent uses to avoid reading as an isolated object. The landscape strategy particularly the mounding, seating forms, and boulevard interventions could be developed with more sensitivity to seasonality, shading, and public comfort, ensuring the space remains inviting beyond ideal weather conditions. Finally, the project’s strong conceptual identity would benefit from more attention to materiality, façade depth, and environmental performance at the building scale, helping the architecture feel less like a graphic motif and more like a fully inhabitable, climatically grounded environment.

While the project presents a highly poetic and cohesive visual identity, the urban and architectural strategy would benefit from stronger differentiation between the public core and the surrounding residential fabric to reinforce hierarchy and orientation within the settlement. The square although atmospherically rich could gain more spatial legibility through clearer edge conditions, program anchoring, and calibrated transitions between levels to ensure that the layering concept translates into everyday usability. Many of the public elements, including benches, lighting, and the observation tower, share a similar lightweight aesthetic, but the ensemble would be strengthened by introducing more variation in scale, materiality, and tectonic expression to avoid visual monotony across such a large site. Circulation logic between boulevards, courtyards, and the embankment could also be clarified, ensuring that pedestrian flows feel intuitive and that connections to the riverfront become more purposeful rather than purely scenic. The architectural references to Russian white-stone traditions are conceptually compelling, yet some façades would benefit from deeper articulation or shadow play to prevent flatness and better convey the richness implied by the historical typologies. Overall, refining spatial hierarchy, intensifying programmatic anchors, and diversifying material expression would elevate the project from a strong conceptual narrative to a more robust, lived urban environment.
03.12.2025