Mirror Pavilion by Ehsani Sharafeh Associates Combines Algorithmic Design with Iranian Tradition

Ehsani Sharafeh Associates has completed the Mirror Pavilion, a temporary structure in Mashhad, Iran, that merges traditional Iranian architectural principles with computational design. Commissioned in 2020 by Mashhad Municipality, the pavilion is located inside a former Coca-Cola factory repurposed as an innovation hub. The design occupies a cubic void within a pyramidal hypostyle hall, introducing a self-supporting cubic structure that contrasts with the early modernist framework. The ceiling features a three-dimensional sinusoidal surface formed by merging four pyramidal geometries, clad in approximately four hundred suspended mirrors arranged through parametric workflows. Each mirror is mounted on Plexiglas panels attached to steel plates, creating a dynamic reflective field that changes with movement and light. A grid of stained glass panels on one facade, referencing the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, filters daylight into colored projections on the neutral floor. The steel framework with slender columns and beams is anchored to a concealed concrete foundation, with the stained glass facade contributing to lateral stability. The design team includes Nasrin Sharafeh, Ali Ehsani, and Milad GholamiFard.