neglected heritage building in iran is revitalized into a boutique hotel

past and present combined

polsheer architects revitalized an old neglected building that was going through a period of decline, into a boutique hotel. located in the oldest roofed alley of isfahan, iran, after about 10 years of being abandoned, the structure brought new life into the naghsh jahan square, emerging now as one of the most attractive places in the area. the architects’ main vision was to harmoniously combine pre-existing elements of the heritage with contemporary additions.all images courtesy of mehdi ghale beigi, azadeh khoshab

maintaining the heritage in a contemporary way

the building is placed at the end of the sadat roofed passage — one of the first roofed alleys in isfahan, which is completely formed under the surrounding houses and is 300 meters long. the interesting typology of this passage and also the proximity to naghsh jahan square has made the yard and roof of this house very unique, and due to the lack of high-rise houses in the immediate area, the residence provides visitors and inhabitants with sweeping views across the city. 

one of the most important limitations polsheer architects faced during the design process was the destruction of the main part of the building in the past and its replacement with a concrete structure in the middle of the mansion. this created a great heterogeneity between the original building and its historical, formal, and communicative features.

1/5

project info:

name: dalan jahan boutique hotel
designer: polsheer architects

design team: mohamadreza ghaneei,ardesheer ghaneei,nariman pirasteh

location: naqsh-e jahan square, sadat alley, isfahan, iran

photography: mehdi ghale beigi, azadeh khoshab

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.