Jalal Mashhadi Fard: The Architecture of “Jan”: A Poetic Reflection on Love and Light. The proportions of the façade of “Jan” draw inspiration from the Tabatabaei and Broijerdi House in Kashan, an enduring architectural masterpiece that holds within its walls a timeless love story. In “Jan” just as divine love manifests in the harmony and delicacy of the human form the building breathes with the rhythm of light, coming alive during the day through an intricate play of illumination and bestowing radiance upon the night.
The interior architecture of “Jan” is a deeply personal interpretation by the designer rooted in Rumi’s philosophy of love. Structured along the three axes X, Y, and Z it embodies the presence of the beloved and the essence of love within the lover’s mind, unveiling a multi-layered architectural narrative that resonates with this perspective. This triadic structure defines the spatial storytelling of the building. The public spaces represent the lover’s mind along the Y-axis, the main reception halls embody the presence of the beloved within that mind along the X-axis, and light serves as the ultimate symbol of love immersing the lover’s consciousness in illumination along the Z-axis.
At the heart of the design the main arch along the central axis of the building acts as a mihrab for the lover, a sacred space of devotion. Clad in mirrors this arch symbolizes the presence of the beloved within the lover’s thoughts. Elsewhere in the building the arches are nested within each other, reinforcing a constant visual and spatial reference to the beloved from every angle and perspective. In spaces dedicated to the presence of the beloved twin semi-arches evoke the form of an embrace, creating an architectural expression of intimacy, inviting visitors to feel cradled within the loving arms of “Jan.”
Throughout the structure verses by Rumi inscribed in Kufic architectural script have been curated onto the walls, acting as poetic narrators that convey the profound emotions embedded in the space.
The design of “Jan” also seeks to achieve an equilibrium of energy within the building’s structure. The right side houses waiting areas and women’s sections Yin, embodying stillness, receptivity, and emotional depth, while the left side is dedicated to managerial and service areas as well as men’s sections Yang, representing movement, order, and structure. This spatial balance fosters a dynamic harmony reinforcing the interplay of complementary forces that shape the architectural essence of “Jan.”
The vertical proportions of the building guide the viewer’s gaze or the lover’s soul upward. This deliberate architectural gesture emphasizes the notion that the true secret of life and love lies beyond the earthly plane in the celestial realm drawing us ever toward the infinite.
The site upon which “Jan” stands was once a mulberry orchard where each year the sweet sap of ripened fruit seeped into the soil transforming it from within. The land has retained the memory of that sweetness. Thus “Jan” rises like a white blossom from the depths of the dark earth, emerging from the hidden layers of the past from the essence that has permeated the soil turning it to light. The building embodies the transformative power of love within the human heart, from darkness to illumination, from earth to spirit.
The architectural motif and emblem of “Jan” derive from a variation of the Shamseh Chalipa pattern. This form was chosen because the smallest unit of existence is a point which at a microscopic scale appears as a pixel or a square. In the architecture of “Jan” the Shamseh Chalipa captures the precise moment when a single pixel, as the most fundamental element of the universe, aspires to expand into an infinite plane. This concept serves as a metaphor for the lover, who upon experiencing love, feels an inherent urge to transcend their own limits and merge with a greater truth. Love in this vision is an infinite force that propels the lover beyond the confines of the self, guiding them from a single point to an endless expanse and ultimately uniting them with the essence of existence.
