No Longer a Prison: The Logistics and Politics of Transforming a Prison as Work of Architecture

Abstract

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.