×
SEARCH
Some projects cannot be narrated simply from the day a design is placed on the table; the decision that ultimately leads to the creation of a work may have taken shape years earlier, in a completely different geographical setting. Behind such projects often lie a confluence of professional experiences, investments, cultural affinities, and personal concerns—elements that converge at a specific juncture to take on a new form. The story of "The Glory of Ferdowsi" (Shokouh-e Ferdowsi)—as it relates to Seraj—is one such case. It is a narrative that links the experience of Hossein Sabet in the tourism and hospitality industry to the city of Mashhad, Ferdowsi University, and the endeavor to construct a monument of a unique scale dedicated to the "Sage of Tus."
Hossein Sabet is primarily known for his work in the tourism sector. His hospitality ventures in the Canary Islands, followed by projects such as the Dariush Hotel on Kish Island, illustrate a professional trajectory defined by extensive experience in developing large-scale tourism and hospitality complexes. However, the project proposed to Seraj in December 2019 (Azar 1398) was not intended to be another hotel, leisure complex, or tourist destination. Instead, the objective was to construct a colossal statue of Ferdowsi—a structure standing approximately 38 meters tall—which, from the very outset, presented a distinct set of challenges for the designers and executors.
When Scale Becomes Part of the Meaning
Creating a statue of urban proportions cannot be viewed merely as the enlargement of a conventional sculpture. A shift in scale alters almost everything: the work’s relationship with its environment, the way it is perceived, the optimal viewing distance for the audience, structural requirements, the methods used to fabricate its components, and even the meaning generated by the presence of such a massive volume within a space. When the subject of a work is Ferdowsi, scale ceases to be merely an executive decision; it becomes an integral part of the project’s language.
In Iran’s cultural memory, Ferdowsi occupies a position that transcends the life of a historical poet; he is inextricably linked to the Persian language, the Shahnameh, and a significant portion of our collective conception of Iranian history and identity. Consequently, the challenge in The Grandeur of Ferdowsi (Shokouh-e Ferdowsi) was not simply to achieve a facial resemblance or to construct a large figure. Rather, the question was how to translate this stature into a spatial presence—ensuring that the audience, upon encountering the work, would also experience the scale of the subject itself.
This very question pushed the project beyond the confines of sculpture, entering a realm that encompasses urban art, design, engineering, and spatial experience. At such a scale, the artistic form cannot be determined independently of the construction methods, the site placement, or the way the public interacts with the work; every aesthetic choice carries technical implications, and conversely, many technical decisions ultimately shape the viewer’s visual experience.
When an Idea Must Be Made Constructible
Following the initial proposal in December 2019 (Azar 1398), the team began conducting technical feasibility studies, creating scale models, and analyzing the dimensions of individual components. According to documentation released by Seraj, the construction process involved over 250 distinct parts and the collaboration of more than 100 specialists and artists. The project was completed in December 2020 (Azar 1399)—a period that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which added significant complexity to managing a project of this scale, involving such a large number of specialized personnel and extensive operational tasks.
The primary material used for the figure was fiberglass; however, the technical challenges of the project extended well beyond the mere selection of materials. The technical details of the large Ferdowsi statue—ranging from structural stability calculations and the inclusion of a lightning rod to the feasibility of 3D mapping—along with the design of a space within the statue’s base to showcase artworks, indicated that this was never intended to be a mere standalone object. The concept evolved into a multi-layered urban landmark—one that, beyond its visual presence, could also house content and facilitate diverse experiences.
At this stage, the boundary between art and engineering effectively blurs. For an artistic concept of such magnitude to materialize in the real world, structural design, segmentation, fabrication, assembly, safety, and operational strategy must be considered alongside the form from the very outset. For Seraj, the experience of "The Grandeur of Ferdowsi" (Shokouh-e Ferdowsi) underscored a crucial reality: large-scale cultural projects cannot be designed in isolation, only to be considered for construction later; design and constructability must evolve together through an integrated process from the very beginning.
A public artwork is not complete simply because its construction has finished.
The intended site for "The Grandeur of Ferdowsi" was the "Sciences Square" (Meydan-e Oloum) at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. This location would have transformed the piece from an isolated sculpture into an integral part of a specific cultural context—situated within a university bearing Ferdowsi’s name, in a city whose cultural landscape encompasses both the ancient site of Tus and the poet’s own mausoleum.
However, the completion of construction did not mark the end of the project. According to official information released by Seraj, the installation of the statue at the university’s Sciences Square faced opposition, and no alternative site was subsequently designated for its placement. This occurrence revealed one of the project’s most significant lessons: in urban art, the capacity for design and construction is only part of the equation. For a public artwork to truly become an integral part of the city, it requires a complex sequence of managerial, legal, spatial, and institutional decisions.
In large-scale projects, the focus is often heavily directed toward the complexities of construction—yet the most challenging phase may well begin only after the work in the studio or workshop has concluded. Appropriate siting, coordination among stakeholders, institutional acceptance, infrastructure preparation, and defining the relationship between the artwork and the public space are all essential components of the design process—even if they do not appear on the technical blueprints for the sculpture itself. An urban artwork only reaches its full potential when it leaves the workshop and begins its own life in connection with the people and the place it inhabits.
In this light, the story of "The Glory of Ferdowsi" (Shokouh-e Ferdowsi) is not merely the tale of a sculpture that was never installed; rather, it serves as an example of the inherent complexity involved in managing cultural projects at an urban scale. While the artistic and technical aspects of a project may be successfully executed, the absence of coordination across other layers can prevent the intended experience from ever being fully realized for the audience.