Mashhad Pilgrim Hotel

The area around the Imam Reza shrine is ringed with tall, dense hotels. The client wanted a high-capacity hotel that still offered pilgrims a calmer, more human experience.

A vertical caravanserai

Instead of a single tower, rooms are arranged around a six-storey central courtyard, a plan drawn from the caravanserais of the Silk Road. Trees and a pool in the courtyard bring light and the sound of water into the corridors, keeping street noise at bay.

The façade combines turquoise glazed brick with local granite, and the entrance arches recall Mashhad’s historic portals without imitating them.