Mirror Pavilion marries algorithmic design and Iranian tradition
The Mirror Pavilion by Ehsani Sharafeh Associates examines the relationship between traditional Iranian architectural principles and contemporary computational design. The project combines historical references with algorithmic processes to construct a spatial environment defined by light, color, and reflection.
Commissioned in 2020 by Mashhad Municipality, the pavilion is located within a former Coca-Cola factory in Mashhad, now repurposed as an innovation hub. The intervention occupies a cubic void within a larger pyramidal hypostyle hall, formed by the absence of a structural module. The design responds to this context by introducing a self-supporting cubic structure that establishes a clear spatial distinction from the surrounding early modernist framework.
The architectural language draws from traditional Iranian precedents, where spatial experience is shaped through the controlled use of light, color, and reflective surfaces. These principles are reinterpreted through algorithmic design methods, allowing for the generation of complex geometries and patterned arrangements. The pavilion’s ceiling departs from conventional vault forms, instead developing a three-dimensional sinusoidal surface produced by the merging of four pyramidal geometries.
all images courtesy of Ehsani Sharafeh Associates
suspended mirrors and stained glass compose a shifting pavilion
This surface is clad in a system of fragmented mirrors arranged through computational processes. Each mirror is mounted on a Plexiglas panel attached to steel plates and suspended from a network of beams. The configuration and positioning of approximately four hundred mirrored elements are determined through parametric workflows, producing a layered field of reflections that changes with movement and light conditions.
A grid of stained glass panels is introduced along one facade, referencing precedents such as Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz. This element filters daylight into the interior, projecting colored light onto the floor surface and contributing to the overall spatial composition. The floor, finished in a neutral material, acts as a reflective plane that registers these light conditions. Structurally, the pavilion is organized through a steel framework composed of slender columns and beams, anchored to a concealed concrete foundation. The stained glass facade also contributes to lateral stability, integrating structural and environmental functions within a single system.
Through the coordination of material systems, geometry, and light, the Mirror Pavilion establishes a spatial sequence that transitions from a restrained base condition to a visually active overhead field. The project by Ehsani Sharafeh Associates’ design team situates traditional architectural strategies within a contemporary design process, using computation to reinterpret established spatial effects within a new context.
a cubic pavilion inserted within a former industrial hall
self-supporting structure contrasts with the existing hypostyle framework
colored light projections activate the floor surface
ceiling geometry formed by the merging of four pyramids
stained glass grid filters daylight into the interior
light, color, and reflection define the spatial experience
slender steel structure supports the suspended ceiling system
fragmented mirrors generate a dynamic reflective field
algorithmic design informs geometry and spatial rhythm
project info:
name: Mirror Pavilion
architect: Ehsani Sharafeh Associates
design team: Nasrin Sharafeh – Ali Ehsani – Milad GholamiFard
location: Mashhad, Iran
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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