The Presence in Hormuz, the island that swells with rainbow-coloured domes
The Presence in Hormuz, the island that swells with rainbow-coloured domes

The Presence in Hormuz, the island that swells with rainbow-coloured domes

The land on the island of Hormuz swells in order to make room for countless colourful residential dwellings: a private institute promotes a series of urban developments in order to strengthen the island's local community

The island's colourful and surreal landscapes are further coloured by the new Presence in Hormuz project: ZAV Architects is hired to empower the local community through housing developments and to suggest a political alternative through architecture

The Presence in Hormuz, the island that swells with rainbow-coloured domes

Various design and construction choices, such as the allocation of a greater share of the budget for the labour costs rather than for expensive materials, for the benefit of the local population, a spatial scenario capable of responding to present and future needs. The use of resources from Iran in order to reduce transport and construction costs for the benefit of the entire country, are all aimed at the economic benefit of the population

The Presence in Hormuz, the island that swells with rainbow-coloured domes

Precence in Hormuz is not a project with a specific beginning and end, but rather an ongoing process aimed at creating trust rather than architectural objects, in order to encourage the participation of the local population and the inclusion of their interests in any intervention on the island

The Presence in Hormuz, the island that swells with rainbow-coloured domes

The project is a multitude of small-scale domes built with Nader Khalili's superadobe technique, the innovative and simple technique that uses rammed earth and sand. These coloured particles pile up to form the rainbow topography of the island: it almost seems as if the earth has swelled in order to create space for housing

The Presence in Hormuz, the island that swells with rainbow-coloured domes

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