Memorial of Martyrs of Airbus Flight no .655

The airbus memorial Design was awarded as the first prize winner of International Memorial Design Competition.

Bandar Abbas

Bandar Abbas  is a port city and capital of Hormozgān Province on the southern coast of Iran. Also, the city is located on the Persian Gulf. The city occupies a strategic position on the narrow Strait of Hormuz. Also, the city  is the location of the main base of the Iranian Navy. The airbus memorial is located in the city beach park.

The Story

Iran Air Flight 655 was a scheduled Iran Air passenger flight from Tehran to Dubai. On 3 July 1988, the aircraft operating on this route was shot down by the United States Navy guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes under the command of William C. Rogers III. The incident took place in Iranian airspace, over Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. Also the plane flight on the usual flight’s path. The aircraft, an Airbus A300 B2-203, was destroyed by SM-2MR surface-to-air missiles fired from Vincennes. As a result, All 290 people on board died. The cruiser Vincennes had entered Iranian territorial waters after one of its helicopters drew warning fire from Iranian speedboats operating within Iranian territorial limits.

Concept of Memorial Design . Airbus Memorial

The humans visual understanding of an event is fasten to a discernible physical base point. Consequently, an event which take place on the ground is more often likely to be memorable. Also, they seems there are landmarks which identify the situation. The sky, as a uni-form, uni-color background with no stable base point does not provide such an understanding about the situation at which air disasters take place. In order to make an aviation accident memorable there should be a void from the ground to the sky which provides visitors with a border which distinguishes the place at which it has taken place from its periphery.

  • Location : Bandarabbas, Iran
  • Client : Bandarabbas Municipality
  • Design Date : 2008
  • Architect in Charge : Shahab Mirzaean Mahabadi
  • Area : 2000 sqm