International competition launched to design Minab school martyrs’ memorial

The Tragic Event and Its Impact

The tragic event that occurred in Minab, Iran, has left a profound impact on families and the wider community. The school where the incident occurred is planned to be transformed into a museum, while the burial site constitutes another important part of what the organizers describe as a wider memorial chain. The overall concept includes four interconnected elements: the school that witnessed the tragedy, the burial site, other memorial manifestations of the victims, and a plan to establish eight schools across the country bearing the names of the children.

The Competition and Its Objectives

The International Landscape and Memorial Space Design Competition for the Minab School Martyrs’ Cemetery has been officially launched, seeking to create a lasting memorial space that honors the victims, preserves their stories, and conveys a message of peace and resistance. The competition, titled 'Architecture; Beyond Consolation — for Peace and Life,' was introduced during a press conference held at the Malek National Library and Museum on Monday, where organizers outlined the objectives, design approach, and procedures of the international call. According to Saeid Mehrpouya, director of the competition, the project follows a decision by the custodian of Astan Quds Razavi to address the site and ultimately construct the memorial. The initiative was also proposed within the legal and planning framework of Iran’s Supreme Council of Urbanism and Architecture.

The Design Process and Its Challenges

The organizers have defined the design process around several stages, beginning with the tragedy itself. They argue that although the catastrophe occurred in a single moment, its consequences continue in the lives of survivors, families, and the city. The second stage concerns the victims themselves and the task of creating a physical space for something that did not previously exist. The architects are expected to address not only the memorialization of the victims but also the transformation of an ordinary piece of land into a place that narrates their deaths, the suffering of their families, and the collective trauma of Minab and Iran. The organizers have also given the competition an international dimension. Mehrpouya said that memorials for victims of major tragedies are not exclusively national phenomena and that the issue of responsibility surrounding such events has attracted international attention. He stressed that the architectural response should go beyond consolation and address the future as well. The concept of peace adopted by the competition, he explained, does not signify surrender. Rather, it represents resistance to humiliation and violence.