Yazd Exhibition Halls

270 km southeast of Isfahan lies the historical city of Yazd. The capital of this province in Iran bearing the same name has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2017. Generations of adaptations to its desert surroundings have imparted Yazd with a unique Persian architecture exemplified by its nickname, the “city of windcatchers” (Shahr-e Badgirha). The legacy also includes its well-known Zoroastrian fire temples, cisterns (ab anbars), underground channels (qanats), icehouses (yakhchals), Persian handicrafts, handwoven cloth (Persian termeh) and silk weaving. South of the historical center of Yazd near the famous Zoroastrian “Towers of Silence”, the new design masterplan for Yazd Expo City is simultaneously the idea to elevate Yazd to a different level of culture, trade and commerce.

The core of the general masterplan is comprised by two new exhibition halls,  with the central entrance hall directly accessible from the master boulevard located southeast of the existing trade fair hall. Located only footsteps away from the central boulevard and attached to the northern hall is a shaded outdoor cinema, a 25-meter, cantilever-roofed plaza for around 400 viewers and guests. The outer plaza grants access to the subterranean level with its embedded office and restaurant facilities via large, inviting staircases. The central entrance hall on the ground-floor level with reception desk, wardrobes and service facilities provides access to the 7000 m² and 5000 m² exhibition halls. This ensemble of exhibition halls has been designed while taking international standards into consideration, yet at the same time with regard to its genius loci and architectural background heritage. The demandingly superior engineered structure and MEP systems go hand in hand with its state-of-the-art architecture and interiors. The two 100 m x 50 m and 70 m x 50 m column-free structures provide optimally flexible space for any type of exhibition, trade show or concert. Two central courtyards implemented inside the halls provide naturally shaded daylight access to exhibitions and connect the ground-floor level with the subterranean level both physically and visually.

The façade of the exhibition halls refers to Yazd’s heritage. Its layers utilize the metaphor of woven fabrics to generate a sustainable skin. The subterranean level acts as an interface between the western and eastern parts of the masterplan, and appealingly surprises with its modern but, at the same time, locally inspired architecture. The centrally located water basin with a rain curtain and its modern interpretation of a windcatcher, the connecting entrance hall and subterranean level all provide for natural ventilation and a moisture-cooled ambience. Office and restaurant spaces are located around the equally naturally ventilated green courtyards shaded using ambient daylight. They are situated vis-à-vis the publicly accessible art spaces that provide public gathering places for the people of Yazd and its visitors. Construction has begun.