Abstract / Description of output
This article discusses the political role of architectural work and design in transforming a prison into a museum and recreational center. The text focuses on Qasr Prison, the first civil prison in Iran, designed by the Russian-Iranian architect Nikolai Markov in 1927 in Tehran. Built in 1790, the prison’s site was originally a royal palace; it is from this that its name, Qasr—meaning palace—was taken. Later, in 1953, a new building was added out of necessity, due to the increasing number of political prisoners. It was only in 2003 that the prison was shut down. In 2008, a decision was made to transform it into a museum and a recreational center, and it became Qasr Museum-Garden. The text expands the role of architecture beyond the design of the building and into designing carceral logistics as well as constructing performing grounds for state propaganda.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 415-433 |
Journal | Space and Culture |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 6 Jul 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2022 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- carceral logistics
- dark tourism
- prison architecture
- prison–museum
- Qasr Prison
- renovation
- Tehran