In the process of designing Shams Tabrizi memorial in Khoy, hierarchical approaches that shaped the main ideas of design can be categorized in five division:
Minaret centric role
Site location is proximately connected to urban fabric which in northern side is separated by one of the main boulevards of the city. The process of design started by the centric role of the historic minaret as the identifier element of the project in the context. Due to this impact, pathways and viewpoints are oriented toward the perspective that ends to this prominent object.
Accesses and pathways
By the centralization of the minaret, main pathways shaped based on the radial guidelines that join by the minaret, make the main access from the boulevard and the polar coordinate specify other entrances, pathways and view corridors from urban fabric. These guidelines, on visual and accessible bases will accommodate the variety of project requisite.
Separating addressees
Visitors of the complex is the main focus of organizing spaces, that due to the context of the city can be divided into two part. First part is the general visitors and residents of the city for its attractions as tourism or recreation destination, other part is specific visitors of the memorial as its cultural and historic aspects.
This duality cause to double approach in designing by different levels of spaces in the project. The upper level acts as a public landscape for group activities and general view to the project that give service to the general visitors, and lower level accommodates functions of the memorial complex that serves to specific visitors. Pathways in lower level is also act as mystic layer that doesn't represent the minaret to the visitor at first glance. By passing the way to the minaret gradually the space would be released. This mysterious approach is based on the gnostic characteristic of Shams Tabrizi.
Shell analysis
Unity in the project is acquired from the collective space that contains indoor and outdoor functions in relation to the neighbor urban fabric. Shaping the terrains in respect of the historic minaret accommodate open space theatre at the top and indoor functions beneath that, and extends urban space into the site to wrap the project by a continuous form. By the formation of the shell it rolls to make floors, walls and roofs that shaping the spaces.
Hierarchy and organization
Organization of the functions are based on the minaret and spaces ordering and evaluation to the project. In doing so, public functions are located in outer ring when the more specific functions are positioned adjacent to the central zone by the main axis to the minaret.